Angel of the Dawn
by CrazyTenor42
Summary: A marriage law for halfbreeds. A deadly test for a man and his wife. What will happen to Remus Lupin and his young bride? Yet another cliche RL/HG marriage law fic with some HP/GW.
1. The Law

Hermione Granger knew her summer was not off to a good start when Dumbledore called an emergency meeting.

Voldemort had been defeated by Harry with a limited amount of casualties. Many of the Death Eaters had not been rounded up however, and fear still remained in people's hearts. The new Minister of Magic was working overtime to round up the remaining Death Eaters and to quell the lingering terror.

Hermione had not removed the enchantment from her parents; they were both still safe and clueless in Australia. There were plenty of Death Eaters still at large who were focused on revenge for the fall of their master. Hermione had been planning on spending the summer at Grimwauld Place with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Sirius, and the occasional members of the Order who dropped by. Although Mrs. Weasley had graciously offered to let them stay at the Burrow, Hermione was growing wearisome of her failed attempts of matchmaking between herself and Ron, and Harry had wanted to spend more time with Sirius. Ginny and Ron had both heartily agreed getting away from their mother was a welcomed idea and Sirius had been more than willing to host them all.

So, at eight in the morning, Hermione and Ginny reluctantly climbed out of bed, dressed groggily, and met Ron and Harry on the stairs.

"What do you suppose it's about?" Harry yawned.

"Hopefully nothing serious. It sounds like they invited the whole Order though," Ginny sighed.

"You'd think killing you-know-who would be enough."

"Honestly Ron, he's dead, you can say the name already!"

"Well, it was taboo for so long it became a habit!"

"Ron, you would never say it before it was taboo!"

"Would you two care to stop bickering and join us?" Fred called from the hallway.

"Yeah, you're arguing my ear off!"

Fred groaned, "We need to find you better ear related humor, George."

Laughing, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny entered the kitchen with Fred and George and seated themselves in a corner. Ginny was correct, the entire Order was already seated at the table. Dumbledore sat at the end of it, looking grave. He stood up, and the quiet talking came to a halt.

"I'm sorry to divert you all from your summer plans," he said, his blue eyes scanning around the room, looking more serious than usual without their usual twinkling, "but I'm afraid that the Department for the Control and Regulations of Dangerous Creatures has been appointed a new head, Dolores Umbridge."

There were quite a few mutters and swears accompanied by this pronouncement.

"Toad," Ron grumbled.

"She has recently passed a new act that will be brought into action." He pulled out a piece of paper and started to read, "_All wizards and witches who have abilities not normally possessed by wizarding kind will be subject to the Marriage Law. Any veela, part veela, werewolf, vampire, or parseltounge over the age of 18 will be required to have chosen a spouse. This spouse may not be an above mention creature. Those who do not comply with this law by the set deadline will be subjected to punishment under the law for the Department for the Control and Regulations of Dangerous Creatures." _Dumbledore put down the paper. "The deadline is in a week. Naturally, the ministry is hoping for an excuse to imprison those accused of causing trouble. There is still much prejudice, some of it justified, floating around in wizarding homes. They believe that marriage would give the impression of being more 'domestic'."

Glances were exchanged across the table. Fleur, who had become part of the Order with Bill during the previous year, look immensely relieved as she fingered her wedding ring. Harry looked slightly uncomfortable, but Remus Lupin was furious.

"This is insane! They expect me to just suddenly marry someone within a week! I will not allow anyone be bonded to me!"

"The punishment, Remus, is most likely Azkaban, and we can not afford to lose a good man to the likes of that place."

"Albus! If I marry someone, I'll be condemning them to a fate worse than Azkaban! Who wants to marry a filthy beast? Tonks certainly provided an excellent example of why no one wants my kind!"

"You can definitely find someone better than her," Ginny said venomously.

Tonks' actions had shocked all of them, especially Ginny, whom Tonks had treated like a close younger sister. Tonks had persistently convinced Lupin for months that she truly loved him, something Remus was rarely told. He finally lowered his shields and accepted her and the two started dating. A few weeks later, Tonks was found at the ministry by Kingsley, passionately kissing a new Auror trainee. After confronting the man, Kingsley found she had been dating him for as long as she had been dating Remus. She had simply gotten carless that time and not changed her appearance from her normal bright purple or pink hair. It had broken Remus' heart. He had become more isolated from everyone, including Sirius, with whom he had been closest.

Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "Nympahdora's actions were less than noble, Remus, but she is only one woman."

Tonks was sitting in the corner, looking unabashed, but still had the sense not to correct Dumbledore's use of her first name. She calmly avoided all the glares sent in her direction. Remus was well liked and many of the Order felt she should have been removed for such conduct.

"You aren't the only one affected Remus," Mr. Weasley pointed out, "Harry is under the law as well."

"Harry is not a deranged monster once a month!" Remus stood up. "I will not be responsible for an innocent woman's life!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice!" Dumbledore rumbled. "Sit down and we will discuss this matter further."

Remus was reluctantly pulled into his seat by Sirius.

"Relax Mooney, married life can't be so bad."

"Sirius, you know more about the dangers of my condition than anyone here!"

"And Prongs and I never cared did we?"

"We were younger and much more foolish. I could have bitten you!"

"But you never did."

"We got lucky!"

"You know, as much as I love listening to you two imbeciles fight, I have more important things to be doing, unlike you two, so shall we continue?" Snape sneered at them.

Remus and Sirius both shot him filthy looks .

"Upset the law doesn't force you to get married Snivelly?"

"Well, Black, at least I would be able to leave the house with her!"

Dumbledore cleared his throat and Snape and Sirius fell silent.

"Gentlemen! Harry, why don't we discuss your situation first?"

He glanced nervously at Hermione. "Well, I um…"

"Go on, Harry," Hermione whispered, "you two make a great couple."

"I was planning on proposing to Ginny." Harry blushed. "This obviously isn't the best place for a proposal, but I have the ring upstairs if…" he broke off and looked nervously at Ginny. She grinned and leaned over to kiss him.

Mrs. Weasley was so thrilled she ignored Ginny and Harry who were now in a fierce lip lock.

"Well! That's one matter settled. I must say, you two make a wonderful couple. Another wedding to plan! So soon after Bill and Fleur's wedding too!"

Ginny looked up. She was positively beaming. "Thanks mum."

"Remus, do you have anyone in mind?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Remus let out a hollow laugh. "Not since Nymphadora."

Tonks finally stood up. "I _already _apologized, Remus!"

Lupin made to stand up, but Sirius stood up instead, pushing Lupin down.

"You think an apology covers what you did? You're beginning to act more like our dear Aunt Bella!"

Tonks drew her wand and everyone in the room execpt Sirius went to draw out theirs.

"Get out of here. The Order doesn't need your cheating filth!"

Tonks laughed shrilly, her spiky pink hair lengthening and turning black. Her resemblance to Bellatrix was increasing with every word.

"A Marauder suddenly having principles! That's a laugh."

Sirius drew out his wand and pointed it at her.

"I meant _get out_ Nymphadora!"

"Remus will never find someone else who will want him," she called, storming out of the kitchen, "if you want to talk about filth look no further!" There was thud of the troll umbrella stand and then the slamming of the front door.

"Ignore her, Remus," Kingsley offered, "she doesn't matter."

"She's right though," Lupin said resignedly, "who'll want a-"

"ENOUGH! Remus, I understand your feelings, but I am afraid we cannot give the ministry an excuse to detain you. If you have no one, I am afraid you will have to choose an unwed member of the Order so you only place the burden of marriage on them, not of an illegal secret society as well. Why don't you and any eligible partners stay to discuss it?"

Remus protested, but Dumbledore had already swept out of the kitchen. Most of the other Order members followed suit.

"Well! I'd better start wedding preparations!"

"Bill and I vill come 'elp you."

Fred and George followed their parents, Fleur, Bill, and Charlie out the door, clapping Harry on the back as they left.

"Good luck mate!"

"You'll need it with her!"

Harry laughed and squeezed Ginny's hand.

Only Ron, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Arabella Figg, Hestia Jones, and Professor McGonagall were still sitting.

"Guess I'd better go and join them," Hermione whispered, "wish me luck."

" You can't seriously be considering marrying him?"

"Ron! He's not going to chose me I'm sure, but if he did, then yes, I would consider it to help him."

"Well I'm not going to let you!"

Harry and Ginny exchanged glances and wisely slipped out of the room. They knew how these arguments with Ron and Hermione went. They had started dating after the war; they had also been arguing more and more frequently since the war.

"You're not going to let me, Ronald! Since when am I under your control?"

"You're my girlfriend!"

"_Girlfriend. _Not property," Hermione hissed furiously, "I can make my own decisions!"

"What a great decision to consider marrying a werewolf! You're going to marry me remember?"

"Do you want him to go to Azkaban, Ronald? Are you that heartless? And I am not marrying you! Not that you even bothered to ask me!"

She stormed down to the table in the center of the room with the other women leaving Ron to stomp out of the room. He cast one furious look backwards at Hermione who pointedly ignored him.

The women around the table sat in silence for awhile awkwardly looking at one each other and at Remus, who had his head lying dejectedly in his arms.

"Erm…well I don't want to be rude or anything, I'm sure you are a great guy Remus, but I've had a boyfriend for a while now, and he's thinking of proposing," Hestia muttered.

"Same for me, there's this lovely chap down Privet Drive who always comes over to help me with my cats! He makes the best cup of tea. In fact, we were planning on meeting today for lunch. I really would hate to be late."

McGonagall looked expectantly at Hermione.

"Um… I've only got a stupid controlling boyfriend who I have no plans of dating further much less marriage."

McGonagall looked at her carefully.

"I'd be willing to…marry Remus," Hermione choked out, "I'm guess the only option left, unless, Professor, you want to."

"I'll go tell the others to start packing your things," she said crisply and started to follow Hestia and Arabella out the door. She turned back suddenly and leaned down so Remus wouldn't hear.

"You two really would be wonderful together, you have lots in common. Remus would be much better with you than with us old maids."

Hermione was taken aback that a decision such as this had taken such little time, but considering the small amount of unwed females in the Order, and excluding Tonks, there was a very small percentage left. She herself was hesitant at making this decision, but surely the law wouldn't last that long.

McGonagall strode off, leaving Hermione and Lupin seated alone. He decided to break his stony silence.

"Hermione, you're not marring me!"

"Well, would your rather marry McGonagall, or break up an engagement between the others? I mean obviously I'd rather not rush into marriage, especially with the age difference between us, but there really is no other alternative. I'd hate to see anyone in Azkaban."

"I can't harm anyone in Azkaban."

Hermione slammed her fist on the table. Her fury at Ron directed at Lupin.

"You are not going to Azkaban! You saw what that place did to Sirius!"

"You've heard the truth before Hermione. I'm too old, too poor, and too dangerous."

"You're more polite and caring than most people who are young and wealthy and safe! And you don't have another option! And you're not—never mind. You are old, poor and dangerous. And I could care less!

"You will! You are not thinking this through! Do not make a rash decision. Just because you and Ron may be having a small argument-"

"-small arguments that we seem to have almost every hour!"

"That's not the point! You will be throwing away your life marrying me!"

"I will not! I've seen you transform before, remember? And I have a job at the Ministry so money is not an issue."

"You never saw me after the transformation!" He sighed deeply. "That was almost six years ago. Transformations get worse with age. Eventually the toll of the transformations on my body will kill me when I get older! And that's not to far away! Don't you understand? You are only nineteen! When you're thirty you are not going to want to be taking care of an old, invalid werewolf!"

Hermione looked at him closely. He was not what one considered handsome. His sandy brown hair was prematurely streaked with copious amounts of grey. Scars ran all across his face; his could have resembled Mad-Eye Moody without the magical eye. He looked extremely tired and his face was slightly lined making him look years older than he really was. Her deep brown eyes meet his light blue eyes.

"I never abandon my friends. Ever. And do you honestly think Azkaban would be better than being married to me?"

He saw the stubborn look Hermione would often develop and surrendered.

"Alright. But you must promise me this: if you ever want to leave me, don't feel guilty because I will more than understand."

She hesitated, but promised.

"We'd better go tell Albus," he decided and walked over and offered her his hand, a gesture Ron was never chivalrous enough to do. She took it, and they left the kitchen to find Harry, Sirius, Kingsley, and all the Weasley's gathered outside.

Ron took one look at Hermione's hand on top of Lupin's and growled.

"Don't come running to me if that werewolf hurts you!"

Lupin made a small stifled noise that only Hermione heard. She tightened her grip on his hand.

"I trust him over you, Ronald!"

Ginny broke into the battle of icy stares and gave Hermione a hug.

"Congratulations! We knew it would have been you over the other three."

"Gin, it's not really con-"

"I know, but still."

"Thanks anyway."

She looked over at Remus who was being reassured by Harry and Sirius.

"Charlie and Bill have all your things, luckily you didn't have a chance to unpack," Mrs. Weasley told her, "you'll have to live somewhere with Remus now I'm sure. It's shame as you just got here yesterday, but unexpected things happen all the time now. You'd think it stop with his downfall and everything, but… "

"Keep in touch," Harry made her promise.

"I will," she cast a nervous glance at Ron, "I just hope I can make amends with Ron. At least as a friend"

"He'll come around. He usually does. And listen," he lowered his voice casting a weary look at Lupin, "I know he'd never intentionally hurt you, but if he does, promise you'll tell me okay? I heard Dumbledore talking and he and the Order are fighting to get this law revoked. It won't be long until it finally is. But still, promise me."

"Alright, but I'm a big girl Harry, I can take care of myself; contrary to what Ron thinks."

"You know, I almost pity Remus, having to live with you. Try not to nag him to death, will you Hermione?"

She laughed, "I'll try not to, Sirius."

Kingsley held out a quill and an official document. He cleared his throat importantly.

"Dumbledore felt that I should have this prepared. It's a legally binding magical contract. It states that you are both held together in marriage until the law is revoked, you must live in the same residence, and you may not be involved with anyone else romantically while in this union."

Hermione signed her name down.

"I'm afraid I don't have a house that we could live in. My parents' house was burned down by the Death Eaters."

"I have a house. It's rather small, but it should be…suitable." He signed his name down the paper disappeared in a flurry of sparks. Their marriage was official.

"Sirius is going to let Harry and I live here together," Ginny told Hermione excitedly.

"Poor Sirius."

Ginny hit Hermione playfully on the arm and then leaned backwards into Harry who put his arms around her.

"We should leave so you can settle in," Remus told her, "as you don't know where it is we'll have to side-along side apperate. I hate to leave in a rush like this but-," he hesitated, "-I have a muggle job at a factory as the wizard community is feeling pretty anti-werewolf at the moment. I can't be late."

Hermione nodded and he grabbed her suitcases. Thanking the Weasley's and hugging Molly, Ginny, and Harry one last time, she grabbed Lupin's forearm and they left with a pop.

They landed in front of a small, one story house in the middle of nowhere. There were no neighbors visible for a good distance. It was mostly empty farm land. Remus had a look like he was sentenced to death row as he unlocked the door and placed Hermione's bags on the floor. Lupin glanced at his watch.

"It's almost ten; I work at a muggle warehouse in the nearest village. I'll be back around five or so."

He left Hermione standing in the empty hallway. Deciding she should get used to her new house, she wandered into the rooms. There were no furnishings anywhere; the most she saw were drab curtains and a simple wall clock. There was a small living room with a couch, a small bookshelf, and a fireplace that had been boarded up. All the books were devoted to lycanthropy.

There was a small bathroom and a kitchen that had dust-filled cabinets, a small fridge, and a small wooden table with four matching chairs. A few soups can, stale crackers, and a few bars of chocolate were scattered in the cupboards. The bedroom had a dresser and a bed. It was the most depressing house Hermione had ever seen. She was starting to doubt her hastily made decision, fueled by her anger at Ron. She put away her clothes in the empty drawers in the dresser. Next to the dresser was a door leading downstairs from the bedroom.

Descending the stairs, she found a stone room lit by a single light bulb. A steel cage was in the corner of the room with a large padlock on the front. She knew how dangerous the wolf was, but this seemed like an extraordinarily painful place to transform. Blood spatters were on the stone wall and the stone floor. The wolf must have attacked himself. Wolfsbane was now an illegal potion to buy and it was very expensive on the black markets. Shivering and slightly disturbed, Hermione left the basement. She glanced at the small clock on the wall. It was only eleven o'clock.

_How could he live like this for so long!_ Finding her quill, parchment, and ink in her belongings, she scribbled a quick note to Remus and then left.

Six hours later, Remus came home. The house was empty. _She's only been in the house a few hours, without me, and she's already left. _He spotted her note on the kitchen table.

_Gone shopping. It's about 11 now, so I should be back a little after you. ~Hermione_


	2. The Transformation

Remus rummaged around in the cupboards. He pulled out one of the soup cans, but discovered the expiration date was several weeks past the current date. He threw them and the crackers away and ate the remaining chocolate bars. Groceries were a luxury he had trouble affording. The laws against magical beasts and the prejudice against werewolves made it impossible to find a job within the wizarding community.

Those same laws made it illegal to buy the wolfsbane potion. Without the potion to control the symptoms the day before and after the transformations, he was absent too many times a month to have a stable job. The one he was at now, a simple janitorial job cleaning the toilets and the employee cafeteria, was for minimum wage.

All of his meager wages went to paying for the house bills. There was very little left over for food or clothes, and none whatsoever were left over for potions. Multiple times Sirius or Molly would ask him to accept their money or hospitality but he always declined. He was much too proud to accept help from them. He was determined not to be a burden on anyone more that he had to be.

The sound of the front door opening and slamming shut pulled him out of his thoughts. Hermione came stumbling into the room, placing multiple shopping bags on the old wooden table, which creaked under the weight.

"I hope that this is alright with you; I explored the house a little and the kitchen was really empty, so I stopped by a muggle grocery store as well as Diagon Alley."

She started unpacking all the food she had brought and putting them away. He watched wordlessly as the cupboards and refrigerator filled up with more food than they had ever seen while he had been living there. Remus felt a stab of nervousness; he could not afford what she had just bought, particularly when he noticed the array of potion bottles.

Hermione noticed him looking at the bottles apprehensively.

"I picked up just a few of the basic potion necessities: headache potions, sleeping draughts, and a few pain reliever potions. I always find it's helpful to have them hanging around. I hope you don't mind about me just sort of taking over and buying groceries, but they seemed…needed."

His mouth went dry. He didn't like to bring up any of his issues, whether financially or monthly, but as they were now supposedly married he supposed they would have to.

"Hermione, I appreciate you doing this but," he tilted his head backwards slightly and closed his eyes, "I can't afford any of this. As a werewolf I can only get low paying jobs in the muggle world, I'm a janitor currently, and all my money goes towards the bills on the house."

She waved his concerns aside. "I have enough money and a suitable job in the Magical Law Enforcement of Underage Wizardry department so I bought all this myself. And now as we're," she paused, "married, you're going to have to get accustomed to it."

"It's not me I'm worried about!" Lupin ran a hand through his graying hair and he looked more tired and more worn out than ever.

"This 'relationship' is all going to benefit me and hurt you. The reason you're married to me is for my sake! I have practically no money, I'm dangerous to be around once a month, and I'm hated and shunned by most of the wizarding world."

"Remus, look, I don't mind paying for you. You have to deal with so much pain and hatred that I'm just glad that I can help you in some way. Besides, you're intelligent; Sirius says that you're great at chess and intellectual conversations and trust me, after hanging around with Ron and Harry anyone who doesn't talk about girls and Quidditch is good with me."

Her eyes were once again burning so fiercely and honestly that Lupin let the matter drop.

"Thanks Hermione. If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know. I'm turning in. You can have the bed; I'll sleep on the couch."

She started to protest, but he looked so determined to do something to benefit her that she let the matter drop. Hermione cleaned up and then proceeded to bed.

* * *

In the days following she saw very little of Remus. Hermione's job ordinarily started at around five in the morning and didn't end until three. She was out of the house before Remus woke up and he was gone by the time she returned. She normally spent the time before Remus came home reading, shopping, or visiting Ginny and Harry. Ron adamantly refused to talk to her.

Hermione and Remus never talked more than necessary. Every night Hermione would cook dinner for him around six and they would sit at the table together and discuss the nightly news or events at their jobs and then retire to bed; despite Hermione's insistence of buying a new bed, Remus still slept on the couch. Not that there was much room to place an extra bed anyway. Hermione got weekends off, while Remus only got off Sunday, so she decided to focus her time on renovating the house.

Remus had told her to go ahead and make any changes she wanted. Hermione and Ginny spend all of Saturday performing simple color charms on the furniture, drapes, and walls. A few simple pictures, flowers, and other decorations later and the house looked much more colorful and cheerful than it had before. When Remus came home from work and saw the revamped house, he was extremely grateful, although he still felt guilty when he thought about how much it must have cost, and the nonexistent contribution he made to it.

* * *

On Tuesday, Hermione and Remus were sitting down for supper when he cleared his throat.

"Hermione, Thursday is the full moon, so if I start acting short with you, I apologize. Wolfsbane is illegal to buy now, and the prices on the illegal market are insane."

Hermione looked at him concernedly. She had researched lycanthropy extensively in her third year. Werewolves experienced wild moods a day before the full moon and slight twinges of pain as their body prepared for transformation. After transformations, a day or two would be needed for their bodies to fully recover.

"Is there any other potions I can buy to help?"

"No. I'll be fine. Just promise me that on Friday night you'll stay away from the basement. I don't want to risk hurting you."

"Do you want to me to help you when you transform back?"

"No! I'll be fine!" He repeated. "In fact, I want you to spend the night with Sirius, Harry, and Ginny."

He spoke this so forcefully that Hermione was taken aback and agreed. After work on Wednesday Hermione made plans with Harry, Ginny, and Sirius. Sirius looked uncomfortable at Remus being left alone after his transformation and Hermione didn't blame him.

"I'm going to offer to stay with his as the dog."

"Sirius, you can't do that!"

"Harry, you've never seen him after a transformation. James and I saw what he was like before we could keep him company. He sometimes scratched himself close to death."

"Harry's right Sirius, you have to stay here. He would be furious at you."

"Tell me what to do."

"Excuse me?"

"Tell me what to do." Hermione repeated. "I'm going to stay in the house and when the sun comes back up I'll go and help him so you don't have to Sirius."

"He'll be furious at you Hermione. Sirius, you can't honestly tell her to…"

"Harry, I've seen that cellar that he locks himself in every full moon. I'm surprised he gets himself up the stairs. He won't be a danger as long as she doesn't go down there while he's transformed."

"I won't, I swear."

"Okay then."

Sirius gave her a few healing salves and told her which incantations worked best on werewolf inflicted wounds as well as pieces of advice. He, Ginny, and Harry all agreed to let her stay the night and then have her Apperate when the sun rose. Hermione left and told Remus only that they had agreed to let her stay the night.

The next evening, Hermione did not stop back at the house after work. Remus had left early, and walked down to the cellar. Unlocking the padlock with his wand, he stepped in the cage, relocked it, and then placed his wand on a special shelf he had built in the cage as well as his clothes. The shelf was in reach for him but above the possible reach of the wolf.

It was degrading, sitting in this cage, naked, but Lupin had experienced enough transformations to get used to it. He did not have enough money to replace his clothes every full moon. He was sure Hermione would be willing to buy him new clothes, but she was already doing too much for him. He shivered in the cold and huddled in the corner, waiting for the first pains of transformation to hit him.

* * *

Hermione was lying on the couch in Grimwauld Place, nervously trying to get some sleep. She was sleeping fitfully; she kept imaging someone being locked up in that awful cage, biting and scratching themselves until deep gashes were formed…She was finally awoken by her alarm she had set. Grabbing the bag Sirius had left for her, she quietly left Grimwauld Place and Apperated into her house.

* * *

Remus, human again, was struggling to stand up and get his wand from the shelf. His legs gave out and he went crashing to the floor. After a few more failed attempts, he managed to grab his wand and clothes. He weakly pulled on his robe, but got no further. The effort of transforming, and the loss of blood from the cuts on his arms and legs, cost him too much energy. Most full moons he lay in that cage for hours until he had the strength to stand up and retrieve his wand. Even when he did that, he still had to make it up the stairs and dress, both amazingly taxing feats.

He almost regretted sending away Hermione. Almost, but not quite. She had been amazingly more tolerant than most people in the wizarding community at living with a werewolf, but he doubted she'd want to help his weak, sorry, bloody, scarred self every month. _Speaking of Hermione…_ She had appeared in front of the cage and let out a little gasp. She had been warned how badly he looked after transformations by Sirius and she had been expecting all the blood and cuts. What she had not been expecting was the look of weakness and surrender on Remus' face as he lay there.

"I-told-you-not-to come."

His breath was ragged and uneven and Hermione wasted no time in unlocking the padlock and helping him to his feet.

"Yes, but Sirius was thinking of coming to help you, so this way was safer. I didn't spend the whole night, I just apperated now."

She tried to help him walk to the stairs, but even with her supporting most of his body weight he still couldn't manage the walk up the stairs.

* * *

Please read and review! Any comments or suggestions for future chapters is welcome!


	3. The Invitation

Hermione carefully levitated him up the stairs. Tiny flecks of blood spattered on the stairs and on the floor until she cautiously lowered Remus unto the bed.

Remus weakly grabbed out for her hand and tried weakly to string his words together.

"Not….bed…don't….blood…sheets…"

"Remus, relax. I can clean the sheets. Sirius gave me all the ointments I would need and instructions. Here, drink this."

She held his head in the crook of her arm and poured the contents of the tiny bottle down is throat. The pain vanished instantly and Hermione went to work cleaning and healing the many abrasions. His chest was covered with as many scars as his face and Hermione prayed that she could heals tonight's before they added to the collection. Lupin eventually fell asleep; comforted by her cool hands gently running over his cuts on his hot and sweaty body, and by the fact he was on the bed rather than the couch he had been accustomed to.

* * *

He awoke around midday. Getting out of bed carefully and dressing, he found that Hermione had healed all the wounds that she could and he was in much less pain than usual, although still quite tired and sore.

He ate a quick breakfast while contemplating what do as he always took a day off the day after a full moon. He had to hand one to Hermione, she must know her healing charms, because he was feeling almost normal that he regretted taking that day off of work. Lupin made up his mind on what he was going to do. He grabbed his wand and then left the house.

* * *

Hermione was getting ready to leave for work and just stopped to grab some papers from her desk when she noticed a small vase filled with yellow roses sitting on top. There was only a simple card attacked with the name of the sender. Hermione was positively beamed with joy. Roses were her absolute favorite flowers; she preferred red, but that was too romantic.

She grabbed the papers she needed and left for home quickly. She found Remus sitting at the kitchen table, with an envelope in his hand. Hermione put down the vase of flowers artistically in the center of the table. She then bent down and gave Lupin a quick hug.

"Remus, thank you so much for the roses! How did you know they were my favorite?"

He shrugged, "I remember you talking about it with Tonks and Ginny. I wanted to thank you for your help this morning, although you should not have been down there to begin with! I didn't want you to…" his voice got much quieter and he looked slightly embarrassed, "see me like that. I know I must look awful."

"Remus, I didn't care what you looked like. I've had a chance to read some of those books you have on your shelf and I sort of understand how…draining it is. And I told you already, I waited until you were human again, so there was no chance you could have hurt me. Who's the letter from by the way?" She asked, pointing at the envelope in his hand.

"Oh, Ginny and Harry's wedding invitation, next Sunday at the Burrow. Ginny also added a note saying that she and Luna Lovegood are going shopping Sunday for the wedding and would like you to join them; you two are invited to be bridesmaids."

"That's exciting! I can't wait to go and buy a new dress. Harry must be ecstatic; he's fancied Ginny since the sixth year! It's going to be such a sweet wedding!"

Remus looked uncomfortable. "Hermione, did you-I mean I know we're not, like, Harry and Ginny, but…did you want a formal wedding with your parents or anything? I don't know what they-being muggles and everything- would think of this, but if you wanted…"

"It's alright. I don't really want a wedding, I'd rather wait until I- anyway, both my parents are still in hiding and still don't remember that they have a daughter. Besides, the stress of having two weddings to plan so close to each other and with such short notice would give Molly a heart attack!"

Her voice was a little too cheery and Lupin was once again forced to face the guilt that he was the reason she couldn't have that fairytale wedding with Ron, or anyone else.

"Hermione, remembered what you promised me? If you want to leave and marry Ron or someone else, you can, and don't feel guilty. I know I'm not anywhere close to the ideal husband."

She snorted, "Ron and I have been rocky for ages. I know for a fact we're never getting back together. I never had much luck dating anyway. All the boys in Hogwarts were focused on how wonderful they were, Quidditch, or how beautiful _other_ girls were." Her voice got bitter and she noticed, so she quickly changed the subject. "Are coming to the wedding as well?"

"Actually, Harry and Sirius invited me to Grimwald place on Sunday while you women are all out shopping. We know better than to get involved with that. Lily dragged James, Sirius, and I to go shopping with her for her shoes and jewelry. We weren't allowed to use magic as it was a muggle store, so we had to hold all the bags for about three hours as she and her bridesmaids shopped. We thought our arms were going to fall off!"

Hermione laughed. "I'm sure with Ginny it will be the same way. I surprised Mrs. Weasley didn't force Ginny to go shopping with her instead."

"I think Molly wasn't crazy enough to go shopping with you three."

"We're not that bad!"

"All females are awful when it comes to shopping. My mother drove my father crazy on their shopping trips and Lily drove James crazy. Sirius and I are lucky we aren't- well, he's lucky anyway."

Remus realized to late what this last comment had insinuated. He stammered an apology but Hermione got up from the table and walked off.

"I'm turning in early," she said coolly.

When she had left the kitchen, Lupin put his hands in his arms and groaned. He was definitely going to need more flowers to make this comment up to Hermione.


	4. Preparation for the Wedding

Hermione lay on the bed facing the ceiling as the morning sun came peering in through the window. She had cleaned the sheets and removed most of the blood stains, although some still faintly remained. She felt badly for storming off like that. She knew he had not meant the comment, but is had still hurt. She would have to find away to make it up to him, although she wasn't sure how.

She dressed quietly and tiptoed into the living room where Remus was asleep on the couch. The thin blanket he covered himself with was slipping off, and he sleepily tried to grab it back, almost falling off the narrow couch as he did so. Hermione had tried several times to try and convince him to let her sleep on the couch, or to let her purchase a new bed, but he refused. She had also tried to convince him to redo the basement to make it a less chilly, painful place to transform, but he has refused that idea as well. Grinning slightly, Hermione grabbed a quick breakfast and then left before Remus awoke. She would go shopping today as well as tomorrow.

* * *

Hermione had carefully timed her shopping trip so that she returned after Remus had already left. By the time that he got home, she had already moved the old mattress and sheets downstairs, had replaced that bed with a much smaller one, and had placed a magically enhanced fold out bed in the corner of the living room. That alone was about two week's pay, but Hermione had no qualms about it.

She prepared supper, and then sat and started reading _The Werewolf's Soul _by E. L. Florintine. ****************************************************************

Remus came home a few hours later and Hermione sat down with him to eat supper.

"I know you won't approve, but I moved the old mattress downstairs for your transformations, bought a smaller one to replace it, and then bought a fold up one for you. Regardless of your protests, the changes were needed."

He wanted to argue with her, but he was still feeling regretful over the comment he made last night and said nothing but a mumbled thanks. He decided to change the subject.

"I saw you reading one of my books. Which one?"

"_The Werewolf's Soul _by E. L. Florintine. It's quite interesting so far. The idea that the wolf takes over apart of the human soul but it only becomes dominate near the full moon is an interesting theory. It might explain why the wolfsbane potion has weaker effects on some than it does others."

"Have you read Holoford's book yet?"

"No, I still haven't finished Florintine's."

"Holoford suggests that a dementor, theoretically, could suck out just the wold part of the soul."

"But that would have to suggest that dementors could selectively choose to suck out a soul or part of it. In Cooper's book, _Demonic Dementors, _he says that-"

Hermione and Lupin spent the rest of the night discussing theories about dementors and werewolves. Lupin was surprised that someone her age was that knowledgeable in such a wide range of subjects, even though she was known as "Hogwart's Bookworm." Hermione was thrilled to have someone she could actually intelligently discuss the subjects with. Ron and Harry would feign interest, but without having read the books themselves they could only understand and discuss so much.

* * *

The next morning both Remus and Hermione left together to Grimwauld Place. Hermione and Ginny then left together to meet Luna in Diagon Alley and Remus stayed behind with Sirius and Harry.

* * *

Sirius, Remus, and Harry were all sitting casually around the kitchen table, sipping butterbeers.

"So Moony, how is your marriage going? Harry's is certainly going fine. I'm afraid to open a closed door incase they're snogging behind it!"

Harry grinned. "Sirius, that only happened twice! And the second time we only did it to bother your mum's picture."

"That was brilliant," Sirius muttered, "took me forever to shut her up and then Kreacher got started. But you're avoiding the question Remus."

He took a sip of butterbeer and looked nervously at Harry. "You'd better not tell her anything Harry."

"Don't worry, I don't want Hermione's wrath on me. I've done that before and it wasn't good."

"She can't be that bad Moony."

"It's not that, she's just amazingly intelligent and helpful. I mean, she was basically forced to marry me, but she just took it in stride. She's paid for almost everything, groceries, and potions, and then she and Ginny redid the house; you know how desolate it looked Sirius, but I couldn't afford to fix it. She comes home and cooks dinner for me after I get out of work, and she came to help me after my transformation, although I blame you for that."

Sirius grinned and swung his legs up on the table.

"Upset she saw you without a shirt?"

"No, I'm upset you made her into my nursemaid! I've gotten through transformations before. The last thing I'm sure she wants to be doing in the early morning is to help and old, broken man."

"You don't know Hermione, Remus, she was worried sick about you. She wanted to help. She's read all about how awful transformations are for werewolves I'm sure. "

Lupin grinned slightly. "I know she has Harry. She and I had about a four hours discussion last night about different theories written by popular authors. She had an idea that-"

"- as interesting as I'm sure that conversation is, can you please get out of teacher mode so I don't fall asleep?"

"Sorry Padfoot. I forget how uneducated you are."

"I'm not uneducated I'm just not a bookworm like you and Hermione."

"She's not upset is she? Being married like this? I know she and Ron are over, but I wasn't sure if…"

"I have no idea. I have the same fear Harry. That if the law is never repealed I'll be ruining her life and she'll be stuck with this ugly old werewolf for the rest of her life."

"I don't think she minds honestly. And I'm not worried that much about her. I know you won't hurt her or anything."

"Could be worse, she could be with Snivelly."

Harry shuddered. "Ugh. Do you know that Luna was over here the other day and she was telling Ginny that some Ravenclaw girls found him attractive? Could you imagine that?"

They spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the days Sirius and Lupin were in school and then talked about the wedding. Lupin realized that he had no dress robes to wear, but Sirius offered to lend him a pair of his own as he was attending the wedding as Snuffles.

* * *

Hermione, Ginny, and Luna arrived much later that afternoon holding bags and bags of clothes, shoes, hair products, and jewelry.

"You were successful then I take it?" Remus said, eying the many bags.

"Oh yes, the dresses are quite lovely. I tried to convince Ginny to have the bridesmaids in yellow, it's good luck you know, but the color were ended up with is nice too."

"I've got to go put all this away." Ginny said apologetically, "I'll see you Sunday Hermione. "

Hermione grabbed her lone bag and she and Lupin left. Luna left a few minutes after.

* * *

"Can I see the dress?"

"You have to wait until the wedding! But I can tell you it looks gorgeous! How was your 'man talk?'"

Sirius shrugged. "The same old. We pick on Snape, Remus mopes he's wreaking Hermione's life because he's too old and too dangerous, Harry talks all about snogging you-"

"- I did not!"

"He's still mad about the time he walked in us then?"

"Yep. 'Cause he never did anything like that at Hogwarts I'm sure. I've seen those posters in your old room Sirius."

He gave a dog-like bark. "Caught."

"But I learned something interesting about Hermione and Lupin," Ginny smirked.

"Yeah, we learned Lupin thinks she's intelligent and too good for him pretty much."

"Well, Hermione is happy she has someone to talk about intelligent things about too. But I pointed out a cute guy in Diagon Alley to Luna, it was a long story, and then she commented on how his eyes were the same as Lupin's. So I said that Lupin had nice eyes, but it's a pity that he's all scarred and everything. Hermione jumped to his defense and said that he was handsome even with the scars. She meant it to."

"Well that's kinda oddly creepy, her thinking our old teacher's hot."

Ginny shrugged. "I used to think Snape was sorta of gothically handsome.

"You what!"

Sirius laughter resounded around the whole house, setting off the portrait again.


	5. The Wedding

The week before the wedding went by quickly. Remus was much happier with the fold out bed than he was with the couch. His back has started to get sore from so many nights on the couch although he would never have admitted that to Hermione. She had bought a few new novels that he read in his spare time and then would discuss them with Hermione. Their relationship had gotten much more social. They were no longer keeping such a large and silent distance between them. After dinner they would often read next to each other on the couch in front of the fireplace, which Remus has surprised Hermione with by fixing and pulling off the boards.

Hermione had bought a few muggle word games like Scrabble and Boggle and was teaching Remus to play. Remus is turn was teaching her to play chess better. She had never been much good, it had always been Ron's area of expertise, and Ron never had the patience to teach her.

* * *

Sunday morning, Hermione and Remus both woke up early to dress for the wedding. Remus got dressed quickly; Sirius' robes were slightly too big for him, but a simple charm fixed that problem. The robes were dressy, but simply colored in black and white. He started pacing around, looking at the clock.

"I'm coming! You can stop pacing!"

Hermione opened to door of the bedroom and walked out. Lupin was astounded. The bridesmaid dress was a midnight blue. It had spaghetti straps and then around the waist the material twisted and flowed down to her ankles. A matching blue pendant with earrings completed it. Hermione had straightened her hair and twisted it backwards in a French knot.

"You look beautiful," Lupin told her.

She turned blushed furiously. "You look pretty handsome yourself. Where did you get those dress robes?"

"Sirius lent them to me. The last time I needed to wear dress robes was at Lily and James' wedding. Shall we?" He offered her his arm, which she took, and they Apperated to the wedding.

* * *

It was the perfect day to hold the wedding. The sun was shinning down, but the weather was not too hot or cold to cause discomfort. The Burrow's backyard had been transformed just as it had for Bill and Fleur's wedding. There were less chairs set out; Harry had no relatives that he wanted to invited, so it was only the Weasley family and friends.

Remus was shown to his seats by Fred and George as Hermione went to find Ginny. Snuffles came bounding up to Remus and started barking. He then padded over to Aunt Muriel and started trying to jump up on her lap. Muriel started screeching and Remus starting laughing. Snuffles wandered back over to Remus and jumped on the empty chair next to him.

The wedding started a few minutes later. Ginny looked amazing in her wedding dress and Harry stared at her in awe. The wedding itself was very short; Mrs. Weasley was crying into Mr. Weasley's shoulder, Xenophillius Lovegood, in his eccentric yellow robes, was sitting near a very unhappy Aunt Muriel. Remus kept finding himself watching Hermione, standing near Luna, more often than Ginny and Harry. She looked absolutely radiant in her gown.

* * *

After the wedding, Hermione found her way back to Remus and Snuffles and after they had congratulated Ginny and Harry on their marriage, they found and empty table and sat down. Remus was rubbing his head.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just have a small headache. It must be from staring at the sun too long or something." It was a ridiculous excuse he knew, as did Hermione, but she let it drop. Aunt Muriel had found her way to the table helped by Ron.

"Oh no, Remus, at Bill's wedding Harry told me all about Muriel. We can't sit with her," Hermione whispered frantically.

"We can't just get up and leave," Remus whispered back apologetically.

Ron had helped her into a seat and was turning to leave when Muriel grabbed his arm.

"Ronald! You can't leave your old Aunt alone! Sit down and introduce me to your sister's friends!"

Hermione watched horrified as Ron sat by Muriel. Wonderful, they were her two favorite people.

Ron introduced them very coldly, "This is Hermione Granger and her husband Remus Lupin."

"Ah, this is the mudblood that dumped you. She was at Bill and that French girl's wedding, the one with the skinny ankles and bad posture."

Hermione looked briefly at Ron, but he said nothing to her defense. Lupin was still rubbing his head, but slipped one hand under the table and grabbed Hermione's hand. He knew arguing with the ancient woman would do no good. She insulted almost everyone. Hermione was more upset that Ron didn't defend her.

"I'd prefer you did not call my wife by such offensive terms."

Hermione squeezed his hand in gratitude.

"Well, from what I hear your wife is a piece of filth anyway. Running off with you and leaving Ronald here alone!"

"I wouldn't have run off if Ronald wasn't a selfish, uncaring fool!"

"You didn't want me just because I wasn't exciting enough for you. Don't have that uh, _wolfish_ quality that Lupin here has."

"Oh, this is the famed werewolf! Why you would run off and marry this halfbreed over a man from a respected pureblood family I'll never know. Did he get you pregnant by any chance?"

That was the last rumor Hermione needed floating around the wizarding community. "Perhaps I married him because he respected me and his lycanthropy is no business of yours."

"Of course it is Hermione," Ron remarked innocently, "because when he hurts you I'll be more than willing to take you back."

"Ron just because you're upset that I broke up with you does not mean that you can take it out on Remus! We're here for Harry and Ginny's wedding. Can we please just call a peace treaty for this one night?" She looked imploringly at Muriel and Ron.

Muriel laughed derisively. "Purebloods make peace with filthy creatures? I don't think so."

"Ron is the creature," Hermione said quietly, "I was more than willing to remain friends with him but he refused. He knew the circumstances behind why we got married but still got upset. Everyone else accepted it, why won't you, Ronald? We were never truly happy together anyway. Marriage would have been awful!" Angry tears were welling up and she hurriedly wiped her eyes with her free hand.

"So you're honestly happier with him?"

"Not romantically, but as friends, then yes, I am."

"I don't believe you. This monster must have bewitched you!"

"Ron! He was your teacher! We all trust him! How could you think that?"

"I didn't touch her, Ron. I swear."

Muriel was cackling wickedly. "Of course you did. It's oddly suspicious you know, why would you give up a chance to clean up your status and instead muddy it up more?"

That was the last straw. Hermione rose from her chair and Remus followed suit, still clenching their hands tightly together. They started walking over to where Ginny and Harry were sitting together; laughing at Snuffle's who was now trying to jump unto Percy's lap and oblivious to the argument that had broken out.

"How's your head?" Hermione muttered. "I'm sure that argument didn't help."

"Not so good I'm afraid. It's gotten worse, and I feel slightly feverish and hot. I think I may be coming down with something. An unfortunate side affect of being a werewolf, I have a very weak immune system."

Hermione stopped walking a few feet from Ginny and Harry's table and placed the back of her palm on Lupin's forehead.

"You're right, I think you have a fever. We should get home. I'll go get my purse; I left it at the table."

She walked back to get it, ignoring Muriel and Ron who, it turned out, had been watching Hermione and Lupin closely. Ron seemed angered that they were holding hands and that she had put her hand on his forehead. Ignoring their juvenile behavior, she walked back over to Lupin. They had not taken more than two steps toward Ginny and Harry to tell them goodbye when Ron shouted something suddenly. Lupin froze for a second and then crumpled to the ground.


	6. The Sickness Part 1

Hermione pulled out her wand and whipped around to find, unsurprisingly, Ron standing there with his wand out. Muriel was laughing. Perhaps Ron knew that Hermione was more than ready to fight him, and Ron's dueling skills were nowhere as perfected as Hermione's, so he shoved his wand in his pocket and angrily strode off. All of the wedding guests were staring at Hermione who was now crouched over Remus. It had just been a simple stunning spell.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, Ginny, Ron was just being an idiot again. I'm sorry it disrupted your wedding."

"Where'd Ron go?"

"Harry! Don't you go chasing after him on your wedding day! You and Ginny act like nothing happened, okay? I'll take Remus home, he wasn't feeling well anyway. You two don't need this to ruin your day."

Snuffles started running in the direction that Ron had gone. Hermione hoped fervently that he caught up with him. She distinctly remembered what had happened in their third year when Sirius as the dog had caught up with Ron. Hermione cast a quick spell on Remus to retrieve him and then hugged Harry and Ginny.

Remus leaned heavily on Hermione and she Apperated them both back home. She supported Remus into the bedroom and carefully lowered him unto the bed. Hermione was trying to hide the tears that were sliding down her face. Leave it to Ron to ruin a perfect, cheerful day.

"Remus, are you okay? What can I get you?"

"Nothing," he croaked, "I just need to rest. Are you alright? You're crying."

She hurriedly wiped away her tears. "It's just me crying over Ron being an idiot. He's made me cry more times than anyone else. How could he attack you on his sister and best friend's wedding day?"

Remus started to answer but turned slightly green.

"You-might-want- to move- I- feel-sick."

"So you want me to help you to the bathroom?"

He shook his head and got up, steadying himself against a wave of nausea that hit him. He started to weave his way to the bathroom. Hermione ran up to help him, but he gently pushed her aside.

"I don't- need- help- I'll be-fine."

He reached the bathroom and bent over the toilet. A few seconds later he started retching violently, his pale, shaking hands gripping the seat of the toilet. Hermione knelt behind him and pushed his hair away from his sweaty face. She jumped up a few seconds later and returned with a bottle of water and a damp washcloth.

When he was done vomiting, he remained hunched and trembling over the toilet. Hermione pulled him backwards so that he was leaning on her and wrapped her arms around him so that he stopped trembling as badly. He had no strength left to protest. She offered him the water, but Remus shook his head feebly and Hermione instead took the damp washcloth and gently ran it over his face.

They sat like that for a while; Remus would lean forward to vomit and then relax back into Hermione's comforting arms and she would once again dab at his sweaty face with the washcloth. When there was absolutely nothing left for Remus to throw back up, she helped him back into the bed. She wrapped him in the blankets and waited until he fell asleep then she fell asleep in his usual bed.

She awoke the next morning to find him sleeping peacefully, but still with a fever. She made a mental note to pick up some fever reducer potion after work.

* * *

Remus awoke the next morning feeling extremely miserable and sick. He would have very much liked to take the day off from work, but he already took to many days off for his transformations. His boss had already told him that if he missed many more days he would be fired. He stomach felt queasy, and he didn't want to test it by eating breakfast or taking a potion.

* * *

Hermione returned from work a little after five. She stopped at Diagon Alley to pick up some fever reducer potions, and then stopped to apologize to Ginny and Harry for the mishap at their wedding. They said that Sirius hadn't found Ron, but that he was no longer welcomed at the Burrow or at Grimwauld Place. Hermione was immensely relieved that they did not blame her for what had happened, or Remus. Ginny and Harry were planning on taking their honeymoon in France, and Hermione was happy to tell them about sights she had been to that would be worth stopping.

When Hermione returned home, she fully expected to find Remus still in bed. She did not expect to walk in the front door and see him curled in a heap by the bedroom door.

She ran over to him and pulled him into a sitting position.

"I can't believe that you went to work today! I don't know how you managed to make it through the day without collapsing! Drink this."

She tilted his head back and poured the fever reducing potion down his throat. That turned out to be a bad idea. She had just helped him into bed when he gagged and spit the potion out all over Hermione.

"Hermione," he gasped, "I'm-so-sorry."

"It's alright. It just means you'll have a harder time recuperating without using potions."

She changed out of her vomit covered clothes and dragged the fold out bed into the bedroom. She took a damp cloth and this time left it on his forehead in hope of breaking the fever. Remus looked awful. He was pale and trembling. His entire body ached. Remus started moaning softly in pain. Hermione sat on the edge of the bed and started stroking his hair, whispering softly to him.

Once he had drifted of to sleep, Hermione climbed into her own bed and fell asleep quickly.

* * *

She awoke in the middle of the night by loud shouts. Remus was thrashing in his bed, his covers strewn all over the floor.

"Remus. Remus! It's okay! It's just me!"

He stopped flailing and looked at her his eyes were large and golden.

"It's just me. You're safe."

Without warning, his arm shot out and hit her directly in the nose. Blood spurted over the edge of the mattress as her nose broke. Hermione cried in pain and then went to the potion cabinet and downed a pain reliever one. She cleaned off the blood and then fixed her nose. Despite the pain potion, her nose still hurt awfully. A loud growling was now issuing from the bedroom.

Hermione grabbed her wand from an inside pocket of her robe and silently sealed the door shut. She sent a quick owl to Sirius with a plea of help, and then another to the Ministry requesting a sick day. She ran over to the shelf and grabbed one of the books on lycanthropy illness.

_Some illnesses can cause the wolf to become dominate in the human regardless of when in the lunar cycle the werewolf is afflicted. Usually it will only until the human can gain control of the wolf. This could take mere hours or months. The longest was recorded as ten years, but the patient in question was already thought to be mentally unstable. Until that happens human is dangerous to be around because they will partially transform; their teeth with lengthen and sharpen, the pupils will dilated, and the snout will start to form as the face elongates itself. _

Remus was now banging on the lock door, trying to escape. Hermione was afraid that, not being fully wolf, he would severely hurt himself.

"Remus! Remus it's me! I'm not going to hurt! Please! Stop!"

The banging on the door stopped and Hermione opened it with a quick spell, but kept her difference. The sight before her was horrifying. The book had been correct. Remus' body was human, but his head was caught between a human and a wolf. His face was an odd grey and it looked stretched as if it were made of putty. The area around his nose was lengthen and his face looked pulled downward and more drawn. His teeth were jaggedly sharp now, and his eyes were still that golden yellow. The only thing on his head that looked liked it belonged was his hair, which looked slightly comical on the wolf's body.

He looked at Hermione with those eerie eyes and she continued to softly say his name. The wolf/human hybrid walked over to her and Hermione was torn between pity and disgust. The wolf head whimpered. Cautiously, she kept her wand and sat cross legged on the floor.

"Remus, it's okay, I won't hurt you. Just relax."

It walked over and sat down in front of her, looking up at her, still whimpering. Trying not to scream at the wolfish head on the human body, she closed her eyes and gently pulled it into her lap. It leaned back on her and she noticed that it was trembling. Still very hesitant, Hermione wrapped her arms around him and eventually she felt it relax. She herself fell asleep.

* * *

A pecking on her arm woke her up. The owl she has sent out to Sirius and then the Ministry had returned. The Ministry just whished her well and acknowledge this was her first sick day. Sirius was more interesting.

_Hermione, _

_ Be careful! This has only happened, as far as I know, once before in our sixth year. He went crazy, turned half wolf and half human. I'm not telling Ginny or Harry because they're going on their honeymoon soon. (Thank goodness, I can only stand so much kissing and lovey-mushy eyes.) My suggestion would be, if possible, to lock him in the cage downstairs and try to talk to him. If something can pull Remus out of the wolf he'll change back. Last time we started yelling that James and I accidentally set out pants on fire and couldn't remember how to fix it. I doubt that will work for you though. I know you don't like it, but it's extremely dangerous for you if you don't. If you need more help I'll floo over. I need something to do anyway. Kreacher is driving me crazy!_

_ Snuffles_

Hermione looked at the thing on her lap. She wasn't sure if she wanted to risk moving it now that she had finally gotten it to calm down. The wolf sensed she was awake and opened up its eyes. They were back to the normal blue.

A/N- Chapter written with for DragonPearlZ who gave me the idea of Sick!Remus among other great ideas!


	7. The Sickness Part 2

"Remus? Is it actually you this time or the wolf?" Hermione asked softly. The thing just stared at her in those blue eyes, and then stood up suddenly. It started to lunge after Hermione. She stood up clumsily and held out her wand. The wolf was snarling viciously and as Hermione raised her wand to her to stun it but with more loud howls, the thing stumbled forwards and the screams started to become progressively more human.

The wolf head was rearranging itself back into the man. The shape of the head was getting smaller and less narrow, and the snout was shrinking slowly in. A few seconds later, Remus Lupin lay, totally human, panting, with tears of agony in his eyes.

"Remus! Thank goodness! I thought I was going to have to stun you!"

He looked up at her in total confusion. "Why were you going to stun me? All I know was that I was sleeping, and now I'm on the floor. And my head hurts worse that it did before?

Hermione hesitated; she did not really want to tell him what had happened because she knew he would be upset that he could have, and did, hurt her.

He saw the letter that Sirius has written lying on the floor and grabbed it quickly. Ignoring his throbbing head, he read over the letter quickly.

"Hermione, why didn't you leave the house? Or lock me up? Do you believe me now when I say that you could be killed living with me! Sirius and James got lucky last time yelling about their pants!"

"Honestly, do you think I started yelling my pants were on fire?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Well I'm human again so you must have yelled something!"

"I bribed you with chocolate."

He raised his eyebrow at her.

"Okay! Relax, I just said your name a few times. The only thing you did to me was put my legs to sleep when you were sleeping on them."

"You let that thing sleep on you all night!"

"Well, it was rather frightening. I mean with the wolf head on your body and with your hair still there though. But you just curled up and slept after I had said your name a few times and I was afraid that if I tried to move you to lock you up would panic."

He started to walk into the bedroom as Hermione went to and see if the book listed any side affects after the partial transformation. She had forgotten that she had not had time to clean up the blood stains form her nose until she heard Lupin yell for her. She dropped her book in surprise and came running.

"Remus! What's wrong? Are you- oh no."

His voice got deathly cold. "Hermione, what did I do to you?"

She sighed. "You were…panicking and I was stupid and stood close to you and your hand shot out and hit my nose. It healed up fine, it was my own fault."

"It was _not _your fault. I should have known better than to go near you when you were like that. You didn't know that that would happen."

"That's the point. When the wolf takes over I never know what happens. I could have killed you and I wouldn't have known it until I turned human again and saw your ripped part body!"

"Look, next time you get sick we'll just have to be more cautious!" He hung his head and she looked at him in concern. He looked up with a mask of determination.

"There will be no next time, Hermione. We're signing the divorce papers and I ill be sent to Azkaban. I will not risk harming you physically or socially more than I already have."


	8. The Sentence

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "You can't be seriously considering that!"

"Of course I can! I've had the papers to sign in for awhile now. Ad you _will _sign them, Hermione. You can keep the house. You contributed more to it than I ever did anyway."

"But Dumbledore…Sirius…the Order!"

"They can all manage with out me," Remus said shortly, "the world can live without another werewolf."

"That's stupid and you know it! No one in the Order cares! I've already told you that I don't care! Just stop the whole angst 'I'm a werewolf and no one can ever care about me because I can hurt them' thing."

"It's the truth! You and Harry are both still under the naïve views of how the Order sees me! The rest of the wizarding community treats me like Ron and Muriel do! Why do you think I can't get a job and I have to live so far away from the rest of society?"

"That has nothing to do with you going to Azkaban! I don't care how the wizarding community treats you! Look how they treat house-elves! And being friends with Harry is already placing me in danger."

"Yes, but you are not married to Harry and nor is he an ugly forty-six year-old, werewolf! We have had this conversation before and we will have it until you are safely away from me! You are not going to win this time, Hermione."

"We'll see. So maybe you don't want to be married to me! But Azkaban? Surely there are better options! If you don't want me than go back to Tonks or find someone else!"

"Hermione, it has nothing to do with you, don't ever say that. You are far better than Tonks could ever be. The point is that I have nothing here for me. All I do is present a danger and a bother. I have no family left, only Sirius remains of my friends, and _no one will care what happens to me!_ So forget it Hermione!"

"I want to read the divorce papers."

Lupin was thrown off guard. "What?"

"I want to read them."

He went and got them for her, looking at her suspiciously. She took them from him and skimmed down to the small print on the bottom. She knew there was no way to talk Remus out of this argument, but she was not going to let him stay in Azkaban for the rest of his life.

_If the divorce proceeding is signed by both parties than the marriage is annulled and the non-human will be sentenced to Azkaban for breaking the law. Once in Azkaban, a marriage proposal can be submitted for that person, but it is up to the head of Control for Dangerous Creature registration, Dolores Umbridge, to decided whether or not to officiate the marriage. The imprisoned party has no choice in the decision and both parties still have to agree in order to officiate the divorce. _

Hermione bit her lower lip. This opened many doors for Death Eaters or any other number of awful creatures to claim Remus for who knows what purpose. She pointed this out to him and he shrugged it off claiming that no one would want to marry him anyway. She thought for a few more minutes, and then signed her name down, praying she was not condemning Remus to a life of pain. He quickly signed his name after she did and the paper flew up in sparks.

* * *

An hour later, Ministry officials came barging into the house, their wands drawn. Remus simply let them escort him out the door, but Hermione saw silent tears fall down his cheeks as they took his wand from his hand and snapped it.

"She'll be better off without a filthy halfbreed like you anyway!" One of the officials snorted at him, jabbing him in the back with his wand.

"I know." He replied softly and then he disappeared out the door. Hermione stood there weeping and then left to Grimwauld Place.

She tearfully explained to Sirius what had happened, and he immediately contacted Dumbledore and the rest of the Order, minus Harry and Ginny who were undisturbed, still honeymooning. Once they were all seated, Hermione retold the proceedings, and the hesitated.

"I signed it because he really seemed to hate life. He wanted to be imprisoned and I figured that well….I know how to get him out. Legally."

The Order stared at her incredulous. Dumbledore merely gave her a small smile, his eyes twinkling.

"Proceed Ms. Granger."


	9. The Request

A/N- Sorry, this chapter had no fluff at all. The next chapter has plenty. I promise! I based most of this off of pictures from Thewlis' movie Naked.

The following week was the worst Hermione had ever endured. The news of her and Remus divorce was slow to get out but once it did Hermione got no peace or quiet from it. People started to congratulate her at work. Letters came to her daily asking her if she would rather marry them because they were also under the law.

She kept worrying what was happening to Remus in that awful place. The dementors were the worst creatures she had ever encountered. Being in that place for so long with no happiness, and nothing that even suggested the prisoners were still human. The worst was that Sunday was the full moon. Hermione knew that they would have no trouble keeping the wolf in his cell, but with nothing to help heal him afterwards, and with no bed or blankets….

The worst of all this business was Ron. Hermione had dreaded what he was going to say, but it wasn't until Sunday that he showed up. Hermione had been busy at her house, planning what she was about to attempt the next day and wishing that Ginny and Harry were there to offer her assistance. Sirius had been surprisingly helpful; he was the closest to Remus and thus and the most worried. He had tried to convince Tonks to help, the plan would be much easier for her, but she adamantly refused.

Ron didn't even bother to ring the doorbell. He simply barged in the front door. Hermione heard the noise and came marching out, wand poised to attack, but relaxed it only slightly when she saw it was Ron.

"I'm busy, Ron. Leave."

"I've come to see if you want me back, after ditching the halfbreed."

"Ron! Do not use that term! What's happened to you? You weren't like this before?" She realized this was not true however. When Ron had found out that Lupin was a werewolf, his first instinct was "Get away from me, werewolf!" Ron was raised with the old wizarding thoughts that neither Hermione nor Harry had.

"Hermione, I've always cared about you. I hated seeing you with him. You and me were so perfect."

She shook her head. "Ron, as friends were fine. But I could never talk to you. It was always about you. You never cared about me. Ever!"

He took a step towards her and instinctively she took a step back. Ron's voice started to drip with annoyance. "Hermione, don't play coy. I know that you want me."

"All I want from you is for you to get out of my house. NOW!" She raised her wand.

"You won't really jinx me. Not good girl Gran-"

She waved her wand and sent him flying out the front door. She locked it shut and put up wards she knew he couldn't break. Near tears again, she went about what she had been doing before.

* * *

Remus was lying in his cell. He had lost complete track of time, but he knew the full moon must be soon. That was about the one rational thought that he had. When he had first got there, he had thought only about that look of anguish on Hermione's face as she saw him being carted away, but Hermione was associated in his mind with happy events and the dementors soon sapped him of any cheerful thoughts. All he thought of was regret that he had not listened to Hermione. His foolish bravery and stupidity had gotten in the way again.

There were no beds or blankets in Azkaban. They let him keep on the clothes he was wearing when he was arrested and that was it. He lay on the floor the whole time, shivering in the cold, curled up in a corner. In the opposite corner was a small container for a toilet. Food was brought twice a day, a small, meager portion that was just enough to keep him alive. There was no way he could survive a full moon here. It required too much energy. Energy that he did not have.

* * *

On Monday morning Dolores Umbridge cheerfully went into her office and found an owl on her desk with a letter requesting a visit with her about the marriage of Remus Lupin. She was prepared to read it and add it to the cindering pile in her wastebasket with all the other ones. They all wanted to help the poor, caged werewolf. If she accepted all those letters the Ministry would have a field day. This letter however, this one showed promise.

* * *

Remus Lupin lay sprawled out on the cold, dirty floor. He had forgotten to remove his clothes before the transformation and fragments of them remained clinging to him sadly. He didn't have enough emotion in him to care. He just lay there, each breath harder to take than the next one. He couldn't even raise himself to eat the sad meal they called breakfast.

* * *

A middle aged woman was walking into Dolores Umbridge's office with a very no nonsense look on her face. She was wearing a burgundy business suit; her long black hair tied flowing loosely around her shoulders. She was interested in the marriage of Remus Lupin, as her letter had stated, because she was interested in experimenting different treatments of curing lycanthropy and needed a younger candidate. The file she held in one manicured hand held all her previous attempts. There was a small sheet in the back that listed the names of the lycans she had tested on near the number of fatalities. The numbers matched up perfectly. None had survived.

* * *

A half hour later a delighted Umbridge walked the woman out of her office and handed her the legal marriage documents to sign. The lady did so and it disappeared in a flurry of sparks. The woman left with the assurance that she come to Azkaban the following Monday to retrieve her husband.

* * *

Hermione Granger went through another week of worry about what was happening to Remus and stubbornly refused to be comforted by anyone; numerous members of the Order had stopped by to wish her luck with her plan. Every night after work she cried herself to sleep, blaming herself for signing her name. Everyday that went by meant another day of torment for Remus.

* * *

Remus was still lying in his cell, waiting for death. His cuts from his transformation had not healed. They had gotten worse from all the grime on the floor. He had barely enough strength to go and relive himself and to go eat. Most days he didn't even know why he bothered. He figured the infections from his cuts would slowly kill him eventually.

* * *

On Monday, the middle aged woman with black hair was back wearing a dark navy business suit and carrying a large dog cage. Remus was only slightly aware of being shoved into the cage and being carried out of the prison.


	10. Realization

Remus Lupin was dead. He must be. He was laying down on something and he felt no pain. He tried to remember what had happened. Flashes went through his mind of Hermione's tearstained face, lying on the floor with dementors swirling around, the pain after the transformation, and then a…cage… He wasn't sure what had happened after that, but he knew he must have been killed by someone or by lack of proper care. He didn't really care at this point.

He didn't want to open his eyes. He was comfortable lying here, wherever here was. A cool touch slid over his forehead. _It must be an angel_. Another reason he must be dead. Dementors don't have skin, and no one would want to touch him like that gently. _Except Hermione. _

_ Not anymore, you know what leaving like that must have done to her. _

_ I needed to do that! It was stupidly noble, yes, but it needed to be done!_

_ No it didn't. She didn't care. Neither do Sirius, or Harry, or Ginny, or-_

_ -I get the point. She was right. I was wrong. I can't apologize now can I?_

_ You really messed up this time didn't you? You find the one person, the one woman, who accepts you and all your flaws, and who gives up apart of her life to save you, and you push her away. She was an angel caring for a monster and now she probably curses your name._

_ That doesn't matter. I'm dead. Aren't I ? Dead and crazy. I'm arguing with myself! But yes, she was an angel. _

"Remus? Are you awake?"

He reluctantly opened his eyes to find Hermione peering over him worriedly. "Oh thank goodness! You were muttering to yourself."

"I…yeah, I thought I had died. Are you sure I'm not? Is this some sort of dream?" Surely, surely, Hermione was not actually still willing to help him after what he had done to her….

"It's not a dream. You must be starved, I wanted to get you out earlier, but Dumbledore wanted to make sure it didn't look to suspicious. Two weeks in Azkaban and you look near death."

She left to the kitchen and Remus waited until he left and pushed himself out of bed and to the bathroom. Moving was not the best idea, a wave of pain hit him, but he ignored it. Looking in the mirror, he saw that Hermione had been right; he looked terrible. He was always skinny to begin with, but now he looked much more pale and gaunt. He had a few new scars running across his face, and he assumed the same would go for the rest of his body.

"Remus, you shouldn't be out of bed."

Hermione had lain a tray of food on the small nightstand next to the bed. Lupin was ravenous. He was still slightly shocked that he was not dead and that Hermione hadn't abandoned him totally.

He slowly walked over to the bed, but instead of lying back upon it, he walked over to Hermione and embraced her tightly and then sat on the edge of the bed. He was hunched over, his hands covering his face.

"Hermione, I don't know how you managed to get me out of there, but I am eternally grateful. I just- I was so stupid! You were right. I was playing the angst card and I didn't realize that you and the Order really don't care what I am. I guess I'm just not used to many people caring…I should never had signed that paper! It must have cost you so much trouble to save me from my own stupid mistake! You could have left me and gone with your life but you came back for me. You've given me more second chances than I deserve. I-you really are an angel, Hermione."

He was embarrassed to discover that he was crying silently. Hermione sat on the bed next to him and put one arm around his shoulder and held him tightly to her. She reached over to the tray and wordlessly handed him a warm mug. He took a sip and the rich, warm taste of chocolate flowed down his throat.

Hermione made to leave and leave him in peace as he ate. Lupin found that he did not want her to leave.

"Hermione, how did you get me out of there?"

She started to explain as he ravenously started on the food she had provided.

"It was rather simple. I just had to change my experience and I pretended to be someone who did experiments on werewolves. I faked all the data and documents, obviously, and to ensure Umbridge didn't think I was honestly helping, I- I listed that all the ones I experimented on had died. It was so hard to sit there with a straight face and lie about the awful tests I wanted to run on you…but she bought it and didn't even look when I signed down my real name instead of the assumed one. It was even harder when I had to stuff you in that cage and carry you here."

He stopped eating and looked up at her. "You planned all this? Yourself?'

She smiled slightly. "Yes. Dumbledore offered alternatives but, I-well- I actually did it because it didn't require your consent. I guess it was rather immature to do. I mean, it is your life and it really isn't up to me: if you wanted to go to Azkaban then that's your decision. I just felt that-"

Remus reached out and grabbed her hand. "Hermione, I am truly thankful that you saved me from my own stupidity. All I could think about once the dementors had started to affect me was how much I regretted not listening to you."

She blushed and then jumped up suddenly. "I forgot to owl Sirius and Dumbledore to tell them that you're alright! They'll be so worried! At this rate I can just floo over to Sirius'. Ginny and Harry should be back from their honeymoon as well and I want to find out how they liked France."

He stood up. "Do you want me to go with you?"

She hesitated. "Well, I would like your company, but I'm sure that you're still tired, and I'd rather not test the amount of energy Azkaban's left you with."

Lupin didn't argue with this and watched her disappear in a whirl of green flames in the fireplace.

* * *

A/N- Sorry that it's so short. I've been busy studying for midterms. The next chapter will be longer; Lupin's going to take Hermione out to dinner and she's going to get attacked.


	11. The Date

(A/N: I'm not sure how well this would really work out with the actual cycles of the full moon….but for the sake of the plot and my sanity, please just pretend it works!)

By the time Hermione had returned, Remus had fallen back asleep. After Hermione had assured everyone that Remus was alright, she was busy talking to Harry and Ginny about their honeymoon. Although they were furious that they had not been told about Remus, they had a pleasant time in France.

As she flooed back over to her house however, she realized with a thrill of horror that she had forgotten to tell Remus that his extended leave of absence was not taken well by his workplace and he had been fired. She knew that he would feel more of a burden without having even his small amount of income.

The next morning when Lupin awoke, he found breakfast laid out for him on the table, along with the letter his work had sent. Hermione had attached a note of her own to it.

_Remus, I know you're going to be upset by this. I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you, but it probably wasn't the best thing to tell you right when you got back. I'll be back home right after work. Just promise me you won't get upset again. Or do anything rash. _

_ Hermione_

Lupin read the note and Hermione was right. He was upset; now he would contribute absolutely nothing to this forced marriage. Don't do anything rash. That sounded like he was a small child needing scolding, but in light of recent events he supposed that she was right. He felt this need to do something nice for Hermione. She was probably going to rush home in fear of what he was going to do.

Sure enough, Hermione came right home after a work. She was surprised to find, instead of a depressed Remus, a cheerful one. He was dressed up in a shirt and tie holding a bouquet of roses, red this time. He offered her the roses.

"Hermione, would you allow me to take you out to dinner with me? Formally, I'm paying."

She grinned at him. "Like a date?"

"I suppose so. It's a 'thank-you for being so wonderful to me' sort of date."

"I would be more than happy, let me go and put these roses in a vase and then I'll get dressed in something better."

She came back from the bedroom a few minutes later. Remus was amazed at how quickly she has managed to get dressed. Her hair was done up the same as it had on the day of the wedding. She was wearing a simple blue dress that went just below her knees. She was still holding on of the roses that Remus had gave her, and with her free hand she took Remus's offered hand.

He apperated them to a muggle restaurant in the middle of London. It was an upper scale restaurant, but still in his limited price range. He and Hermione were seated quickly and placed their orders.

"I used to come to this restaurant with my parents when I was younger. My mother didn't like going into wizarding restaurants because she felt out of place."

"It's a nice place. I still prefer muggle places. It just-it's rather silly- but I think because I know everything is done by hand rather than magic."

"Magic can take the simple fun out of things."

"Exactly! I still cook and do chores mostly by hand. I don't think magic should be an excuse for everything."

"I agree. Except for cooking; I am notorious bad at cooking. Lily decided that James, Sirius, Peter and I should learn how to cook when she was pregnant with Harry. James had asked her for help with the oven, and, James swears it was the hormones, she went off on him that he couldn't cook and wanted her to do everything. Having all of us in the kitchen at once was an awful idea; we were supposed to be making chocolate- chip cookies. Sirius kept adding in too much butter, James got the flour all over, Peter ate the chocolate chips, and I tried to stop Lily from going into hysterics and ended up trying to do it all myself. I ended up accidentally leaving in some eggshells and then by burning the whole thing! " He got a far away look in his eyes as he thought about the days when Lily and James and been alive and when Peter had not been believed to be a traitor.

Hermione gently nudged him with his foot and he looked at her with an apologetic look.

"Well, after hearing that story, it's a definitely good thing that I do all the cooking then."

The waiter came back to their table. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but there has been a delay in the kitchen and your food will not be ready for a few more minutes. If you need anything in the meantime please let me or the rest of the staff know."

He walked off.

"There's not many people here tonight," Hermione observed. There was one couple at the door who were leaving. The rest of the restaurant was deserted.

"This place is usually crowded. It must be an off night for them," Remus shrugged. "It mostly does most of its business on the weekends."

The conversation was disrupted a few minutes later when the waiter came back to the table with their plates of food.

The rest of the night went smoothly on, and Remus, laughing and talking in between bites of food, realized that he loved her. It was really not a sudden revelation; it wasn't like he just looked at her and realized, 'Hey! I love her!' It was more like he realized what she wasn't. He thought, at first, when he was her teacher, that he was like a father figure to her and Harry and Ron. Then he realized that Hermione was fiercely intelligent, loyal, and brave, certainly not in need of any of his guidance. The next time he saw her, she was a young woman, just the same as he had known her, but more beautiful, more fiercely intelligent.

She was more than a friend, he realized now. He felt too strongly towards her for that. He was protective of her, like his well-being was tied into her own. She was everything to him now. She was the most accepting, caring – she was simply everything – more than what he could have even imagine as a love. Of course, she was only with him out of a Ministry law. So he could only imagine what she really felt about him, the man she had sacrificed everything for, but not out of love, just because she was a giving person like that. What would she do if she found out the man she had to live with actually loved her? A man twice her age? A lycan?

"Remus?"

He was startled out of his thoughts and looked up at her. She was standing in front him, putting on her coat.

"We're leaving. Are you okay?"

"Just thinking."

He stood up and offered her his arm, which she took.

"Remus, thanks. I had a great time."

"Well, thank you for agreeing –" he started pulling at the key to the front door, "I hate these muggle locks, can never get the bloody things opened…" He pulled his wand out of his pocket, but before he had a chance to open the door, there were shouts from behind him, and he and Hermione crumpled to the ground.


	12. Captured

Hermione woke up and the overwhelming darkness made her immediately assume she was still asleep. She blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted enough to catch sight of the thin ray of light that was sneaking underneath a door a few feet from her. Carefully picking herself from her haphazard pose, she walked around the room. It was less of a room and more of a prison cell judging by the size. It was maybe four feet from stone wall to stone wall. A stone door, barely discernable from the walls surrounding it, let in just a fragment of light. There was no door knob. Hermione did a hopeful, but futile attempt to check the floors and her person for her wand. No such luck.

Hermione sat back in the corner of the cell, pressing against it as if to sink into the stone. Perhaps Remus had been luckier. She couldn't remember anything but being hit by a curse and falling to the ground. For all she knew, Remus had escaped. Perhaps Remus had alerted the Order that she had been taken. Surely she couldn't have been here long? A few hours at the most? So Harry or Kingsley or any of the others in the Order would be here any moment…

Sure enough, the door opened, flooding the cell with light so bright that Hermione had to close her eyes for a few seconds as she clambered to her feet. When she reopened them, three hooded Death Eaters stepped into her cell.

"You look exactly like your son, _Mr. _Malfoy," Hermione spat, "I don't know why you bother with the mask."

"Mudblood," Lucius hissed, "don't you dare spew your filth on our pure-blood name."

"Your name is filthy enough without me touching it."

"Aren't you missing your half-breed boyfriend yet? Or are you glad to be rid of at least one level of filth?"

"He's my husband and what have you done with him?"

Lucius removed the mask and grinned, "I don't think you need worry for long." He turned to the still masked Death Eater. "Grab her."

They both pulled out their wands and Hermione found herself again crumpling to the ground.

A/N: Sorry this one's so short. I'm in college now, so I have a bit more time to write, so hopefully this story will be finished before October!


	13. Wolf Battle

Hermione woke up for a second time and this time she knew exactly where she was. She could just make out the Malfoy Manor peeking out from the top of the trees in the forest she was currently in. She was huddled at the base of a tree, her hands chained to the trunk, her wand nowhere to bee seen. There was no possible way of escape and no one would hear her cries this deep in the forest. She shifted and looked through the branches above her to see the sun start to set. She had no idea why Malfoy had brought her from the Manor to the grounds. He was going to kill her anyway, so why did the location matter?

A calloused hand roughly shoved a wand at her throat. Her brown eyes lit up with fury. Fenrir Greyback. With her wand.

"Enjoying the sunset?"

Hermione simply glared at him.

"I plan on staying right here with you so we can watch the moon together," he snarled, gripping her chin harder, so that she whimpered as his nails left half-moon slivers. Blood started trickling into the small crevices.

"Monster!" Hermione spat, and kicked out her legs as far as they would go before the chains snapped her back towards the dirt. Greyback snorted and grabbed both her legs, holding her helpless and slightly suspended in midair.

"You think I'm a monster now, wait until the moon rises. But you know all about moonlight-monsters don't you, _Mrs. Lupin_?"

"Remus is nowhere near the foul beast you are!"

"You won't be singing the same tune when he bites you tonight. If you're lucky, he or I may kill you."

That put the final puzzle piece in place for her. She had completely forgotten about the full moon. Malfoy didn't want to kill her himself, he wanted Greyback or Remus to finish the job for him.

"Remus," her voice faltered slightly, "will not touch me, even as the wolf."

Greyback let out a deep, howling laugh. "You say that now! He only married you because of that law, he does not love you."

"Then why do you assume that he will come and save me?" She hoped she sounded braver than she felt. She prayed Greyback did not have Remus captured as well. _Even so, Remus wouldn't be foolish enough to save me tonight. Hopefully. _

"He will not save you, of that you can be sure. Either I will kill both of you or you will have to kill him."

He pushed the wand a bit more forcefully into her neck and Hermione twitched uncomfortably. She was being stretched between a tree and a Death Eater as the moon climbed slowly higher in the dark sky and was becoming increasingly more desperate and annoyed.

"I can – hardly kill anyone – while you – have – my wand." She choked out.

"Well, my pup and I can hardly hold it as wolves, can we?"

"He's not – your pup!"

"I made him what he is! It is thanks to me that he is far stronger than a human. And like me, he will show you no mercy. So if he kills me, make your choice. It will be your life – or his."

" I will not hurt him."

He gave her an animalistic grin and then suddenly cast his gaze from her face to the nearby bush. Hermione heard it; something in the push was rustling. Greyback dropped Hermione's wand at the edge of her feet. She ignored the slight pain as the wand left it's suffocating position on her throat. A squirrel scampered out of the bush. Greyback chuckled coldly and rammed his foot down onto it. There was a crack as its spine broke, and it the otherwise silent night air, it sounded like a gunshot. Hermione shuddered, and pulled her knees into her chest.

Greyback picked up the squirrel by the tail, threw it in front of Hermione, and then disappeared into the bushes. The moon was minutes away from rising; the purplish hues of the fading sun quickly turning darker and darker. Despite the twinkling stars, the night could not have felt more ominous. She struggled to kick her wand closer to her. She tried Nonverbal spells, nudging it with her toes, and ended up screaming at, willing it to just move towards her. She found herself hysterically wishing for a book. Books always knew what to do. They had the information, they had a calming, comfortable presence in her life.

Her mother and father had read them to her when she was upset as a child. She had continued the practice during school, despite her classmates teasing. The books helped her escape the stress of school work and Voldemort's threat.

Hermione would read to Remus when he was weak after the transformations; even on occasion she would read to him in wolf form. They could not afford the wolfsbane potion, nor buy it legally, so Hermione would sneak down to where Remus kept himself caged up, and sit just out of reach of the wolf. The wolf would lay down by the front of the cage and watch her with the large, piercing amber eyes. Hermione could have sworn the wolf knew who she was a why she was there because when she slipped away before the moon waned, he would let out a piteous howl. Remus never remembered his memories as a wolf and Hermione never told him. He would have been furious to know. Ever since their third-year, Remus' fear of himself being a danger to others increased exponentially. If he knew Hermione was even on the basement stairs when he transformed he would be upset.

A large howl echoed through the forest. A flurry of disturbed black silhouettes of bats and birds went flying out of the trees above her, their wings covering up the sound of four paws approaching. Greyback was fully transformed. He was a massive, hulking seven foot beast covered with coarse grey fur. He was identical to Lupin in his wolf form, except for the eyes. Lupin's were somehow warmer, a honey colored amber that were wolfish and fierce while still clinging to his human personality. Greyback's were gleaming yellow, the same as those in muggle horror movies that were the last thing the useless beauty saw before they were attacked.

Greyback bent down and tossed the squirrel into the air and caught it in his mouth. His teeth ripped it apart in no time, spattering Hermione with warm flecks of blood and splinters of bone. He started to approach her as she kicked and struggled, but with no luck. The werewolf knelt on both her legs, and his weight was no match for her human strength. He knelt in closer, his mouth opening wide, and Hermione bit back vomit at the stench of dead squirrel and the sight of squirrel remains.

Greyback's ears suddenly flicked backwards. Another werewolf came running from Hermione's right and knocked Greyback off of Hermione. She caught a flash of familiar amber eyes. Still stuck to a tree however, and with Greyback was still mobile she watched helplessly at the two werewolves locked in mortal combat.

Greyback regained his posture and stood up to his full height. Lupin imitated him, and the two beasts circled each other menacingly. It was almost comical, like two old western stars in an old muggle shoot out. The wolves both let out ear-piercing howls, not of pain or desperation like Hermione usually heard, but a powerful war cry.

They both suddenly charged at each other, knocking into a tree; fragments cascaded down upon the pair. The two became an indistinguishable tangle of furry limbs with the occasional glimpse of amber and gold eyes and the whitish-yellow of teeth and nails visible in the moon's dim light.

Hermione sat silently, afraid that her cry would attract Greyback, or even Lupin back to her. Every thought was centered on her fear that Remus would be murdered and she would be sitting there uselessly watching. She couldn't even distinguish between the two werewolves; most of the time they were entangled so closely together in the heat of the fight.

Unexpectedly, Greyback raised his elongated snout towards Hermione and ran away from his battle Lupin and started to charge toward Hermione. Lupin retaliated and with one long swipe, his claws cut deeply down Greyback's shoulder, drawing a considerable amount of blood. Enraged, Greyback turned and sank his teeth into the other's wolf's shoulder. He cruelly yanked his teeth out of Lupin's flesh and left the wound shining crimson, drenching the fur. A scream rose out of Hermione as Lupin whimpered and then felt sideways, one of his paws scratching at his wound.

Greyback turned his yellow gaze back unto Hermione once more and drew so closely that she could see his muzzle matted with blood. Despite being previously unsuccessful, she launched out at Greyback with both feet, and this time she hit him square in the chest. He reeled backwards in front of Lupin. Lupin quickly rose and picked up Greyback with inhuman strength and threw him against the nearest tree. He lay motionless.

Hermione watched Lupin with a new fear in her eyes. She was sure Remus would kill himself before he harmed her, but as a wolf she wasn't as sure. She fervently hoped Greyback was not telling the truth about werewolf mates. Lupin padded over to the tree she was chained to and started ramming into the tree trunk. He did this several times until the tree finally gave way to the wolf's strength, and cracked in two. Hermione closed her eyes and pulled her face close to her chest. The braches whipped across her face as the tree started to fall. It fell with an earth-shattering _thud _and Hermione clumsily stood up, pulling her chained arms above the stump.

"Thanks Remus," she whispered.

He watched her with those eerie eyes, and then his ears pricked up. He dashed to her, shoved her down with his to front paws and then continued to run past her, where an irate Greyback was rising from the ground. Taking the opportunity of Greyback being distracted, Hermione crawled awkwardly on her knees to the area she had last seen her wand. She stood up and felt around for it with her foot until she came across it. Kneeling down, she bent over at an odd angle in order to grab and freed herself from the manacles.

Massaging her wrists, she got up with much more balance and cautiously approached the still battling werewolves. She raised her wand, but hesitated, afraid to hit the wrong one. She sent red sparks at the jumbled pair and both growled fiercely and sprang apart.

"Stupefy!"

A shot of light hit Greyback in the chest, but he still remained upright and began to cautiously move forward, stalking his prey. Hermione tried the spell unsuccessfully several more times all in vain. Lupin was watching fearfully from a distance. Desperate, she shot a burst of flame at Greyback. The flame licked the grass at his feet and started to ascend his legs. Desperately yowling he fled, leaving trails of gently smoking grass.

Hermione walked around, eyeing Lupin carefully. He was lying on his side panting, his eyes half closed. She put out all the small patches of fire. The last thing she needed was the fire to consume the forest while they were in it. Once she was done, she cast a few simple protection charms to prevent the unlikely return of Greyback.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A shimmering silver otter burst out of her wand.

_"I found Remus, we are in the woods behind the Malfoy Manor."_

The patrounus took off into the night, and Hermione sadly watched it leave, taking the protective light with it. Lupin let out a pitiful whimper. Deciding that he was in no condition to attack her and most likely wouldn't anyway, Hermione sat down next to the wolf. She couldn't tell the extent of his injuries between the fur, the dirt, and the poor light, so she illuminated her wand. Lupin opened his eyes and pounced forward, snapping her wand in two. The light went out and a satisfied werewolf lay back down on the ground.

"Okay! I guess now I can't help you! There's not much I can do now I suppose, I can't leave here with you, and there's still Death Eaters around I'm sure. Oh, this is hopeless."

She resignedly accepted that there was nothing she could do further and after a few more minutes, she was dozing lightly, Lupin still watching her to make sure she did not try to cast any more spell. She awakened to what felt like a short time later to human like howls. The moon was vanishing, and Lupin was transforming back into a human. Awful, heart-wrenching cries issued from him as hair sprang back into his chest, his bone and face structure shrinking. The snaps of bone breaking and reforming were too much for Hermione who turned away with revulsion and pity. He had always forbidden her to watch him transform, and now she knew why, it was absolutely horrifying.

When the screams stopped, Hermione turned around. Remus Lupin lay naked, curled in a fetal position, and breathing heavily. He had massive gashes running across his legs, chest, arms, and face. The deeper ones were still trickling blood although some of the smaller ones had clotted. His bottom lip looked almost torn away. Dirt was all over him: in his face, his cuts, and his hair. The spot Hermione was most worried about was his shoulder where Greyback had bitten him, but when she looked it had disappeared. _I'm positive that he got bit there! What happens when a werewolf gets bitten again by another werewolf? _

"Remus?"

He looked up at her feebly.

"You didn't get bit? I didn't hurt you?"

Hermione laughed weakly.

"You're lying there all bloodied up and you're concerned about me? I'm fine, you never touched me, you saved me actually."

"Greyback?"

"Umm…I he seemed impervious to all my other spells so I set him on fire once you had freed me. I set up a few protection wards and sent out my patronus."

Remus chuckled and then groaned.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Here I am talking and…I could have healed that; but you snapped my wand," she gestured sadly at the pieces that lay next to him.

"I'll buy you a new one. I'm so sorry I-"

"It wasn't your fault, you thought I was going to curse you like I did to Greyback. And we should get you out of the dirt before those cuts get even more infected."

Hermione gently lifted moved Remus so he was sitting in her lap with his head resting on her collarbone. He inhaled sharply as she accidently touched one of his cuts.

"I don't have anything to cover you with, I'm afraid," Hermione said apologetically, "this is the best I can do. I'm not a hospital bed, obviously, but at least it's not dirt."

She started stroking his hair. He was going to tell her off; tell her he was fine, and didn't need to fuss over him like she always did, but he gave up, a small comfort in this haze of pain was worth a little of his pride. He eventually fell into a fitful sleep, his head resting sideways on Hermione's neck. She eventually fell asleep.

A/N: This was originally posted as Angel of the Dawn part 2, and I finally stopped being lazy and merged them together.

5


	14. St Mungo

She awoke to the sun shinning brightly at her through curtains of a hospital bed. She sat up and was startled to discover she was a pair of her own jeans and t-shirt; they were not the same pair she had fallen asleep in. She pulled back the curtain to find Harry sitting on a chair reading the _Daily Prophet. _

"Harry! How did I get here? Where's Remus? Did you catch Greyback?"

Harry laughed. "Hermione, you never stop worrying do you? Relax, we got your patrounus and Kingsley thought it would be best not to wake you. Remus is here too, but in a different ward. The Healer's say he'll be alright. We caught Greyback; he's in a secured ward here as well. For some reason he's been burned pretty badly. Ginny brought over your clothes and your purse. We also got you a spare wand, yours-"

"Snapped, I know." She quickly told him about last nights events.

"So Greyback bit Remus again?"

"Yeah, the bite disappeared, but I'm certain of what I saw."

"Hmm…I don't know think that's affect him, but I could be wrong. I wouldn't bother to mention it to the Healer's though."

"I'll research it when I get out of here. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Not really. Two more Death Eater were caught trying to attack a house in Hogsmeade. Dumbledore is still fighting to have that law revoked, but attacks like those are still pretty common. The Minister is still refusing to lift it."

A motherly looking healer came bustling in.

"Oh good! You're awake! You only had a few minor cuts and bruises that's we've taken care of; you are free to leave. We were mostly afraid you'd go into shock after what you must have seen. Goodness knows what happened to that poor man who was brought it with you. It must have been some beating to witness with wounds like that!"

"Could I see him?"

"He's sleeping now and he's been through an awful lot. I'd rather you didn't disturb him."

"Please? I want to make sure he's alright. I won't disturb him."

The nurse hesitated.

"Oh, all right. But don't stay too long. He's on this same floor, room 112. I'll be up eventually to change his bandages."

Hermione grabbed her things from Harry and rushed out of the room. Lupin's room was only a few doors down. Outside of his door Harry paused and grabbed her arm.

"Hermione, don't tell the healers about his um... 'furry little problem' alright?"

She grinned slightly at the term, "They don't know?"

"They won't treat them here. I'm surprised they don't know who he is already. And I know it's not right, but please, don't turn it into another spew."

Hermione nodded angrily and opened the door, "Alright, but it's S.P.E.W. not spew!"

"Fine! I'll meet you back at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley's making dinner."

She nodded again and walked into the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Lupin was lying on the bed with his arms and head resting above the white blanket. Multiple new scars ran down his face and arms. Hermione could only assume that the rest of his body was just as bad. His chest gently rose and fell in his sleep. She stood there watching him for a few minutes and then left for the hospital gift shop.

Hermione purchased a few small children's chapter books and then headed back upstairs. Pulling a small wooden chair up to the side of his bed Hermione started reading softly to him. She felt slightly foolish reading him these little chapter books; she had finished two of them when the healer walked in.

Hermione rose to leave.

"Oh no, you can stay dear. I heard you reading to him; that's very sweet. I just need to change his bandages. I hate to wake him, but it has to be done. I'm afraid it stings a little but any pain reliever potion will interfere with the healing potions we gave him."

The nurse pulled the sheets down to his waist and took off his shirt.

"Most of the severe cuts were on his chest and shoulder. The rest left nasty scars but we were able to heal them up so he didn't get an infection. He broke a few ribs as well."

The nurse levitated his torso off the bed a few inches so she could remove the bandages. She took a bottle from her apron and poured the contents unto a cloth. The cuts were massive and angry looking, but the nurse seemed not to be bothered by this as she started to dab them with the potion soaked cloth.

Lupin opened his eyes and looked around wildly. He hissed with pain as the potion made contact with the open skin and went to grab the cloth away from the healer. Hermione grabbed his hand and when he turned to look at her he relaxed slightly.

"You're in St. Mungo's. You're safe."

The nurse resumed her job and Lupin gripped her hand painfully tight. The nurse finished and put on new bandages. When she was done she gave Hermione a small smile and then shut the door. Lupin released he hand and shifted sideways to look at her.

Hermione sat fiddling with a page of one of the books.

"What book?"

"Just a few children's ones the hospital gift shop had. I was reading them."

He looked closely at her.

"Was that the murmur I was hearing then? You were reading them out loud?"

She went slightly pink. "I read to people in muggle hospitals and nursing homes every Saturday when I was younger. My mom used to go with me. I guess I fell into that habit. I thought it might help…and I felt guilty. It's all my fault you got hurt."

Lupin tried to raise himself up to a sitting position, but lay back down quickly as pain seared through his chest.

"Do you want me to ring for a healer?"

"I'm fine," he said shortly, " and it is not your fault that I'm in this condition."

"Yes it is," she argued, " I was the reason that you attacked Greyback. If I wasn't captured then you would have been at home and safe! I should have known better than to have let the wolf snap my wand. I could have gotten us out of there quicker! And I probably didn't make things better for you holding you in a curved position with your broken ribs."

Lupin reached out and grabbed her hand that was still fiddling with the pages of the book.

"Hermione, it was not your fault you were captured and it is not your fault that Greyback attacked me. You were lucky I didn't attack you! And how could you have known my ribs were broken? You were more of a comfort than you know keeping me out the dirt. Most people would have let me lay there."

He said this so matter-of-fact that Hermione went quite and didn't argue her point further.

"I'm just so thankful I didn't harm you. All I can remember is flashes of ramming into a tree, Greyback clawing at me, and flashes of fire," he looked at Hermione curiously, "why was I hitting a tree?"

Hermione explained the night's proceedings for a second time.

"See! You wouldn't have attacked me."

Lupin frowned, "Yes, that behavior seems odd for the wolf. It's not a lupine trait to protect a human. I wonder why the wolf seemed to regard you as an ally."

Hermione look nervously at him. "Well, I know you told me not to, but after you transform I-I sit in front of the cage and read to the wolf."

He pulled his hand away from her grip. "Hermione! Are you trying to be killed? Or bitten? What if I reached through the cage and pulled you forward?"

"I sat too far back the first couple of times for the wolf to reach me. The wolf just sat and, well, almost listened to me. I moved right to the front of the cage eventually and nothing ever happened."

"That was still incredibly dangerous! Werewolves are not reputed for kindness. I could have been luring you into a sense of security so I could eventually bite you!"

"Then why didn't you bite me tonight? You freed me Remus! You didn't bite me!"

He lay there silently observing her. She felt like she was thirteen again and in his Defense classes.

"You think that I want to be bitten? You know what the boggart I vanished in your cabinet turned into when it saw me? A werewolf! They scared me to death before I was even in the wizarding world; all those muggle films about them stalking you in the night and attacking you. I was petrified when I learned they actually existed! The thought of teeth ripping through my flesh and those haunting, staring eyes… I did it because I hated listening to the tortuous howls you made as you bit and scratched yourself and this was the only simple option to keep you distracted! So if you think that I did it for some sort of adrenaline rush or something then think again!"

She grabbed her purse and left, slamming the door behind her.

A/N: Next Chapter will be up soon!

3


	15. Clueless

Merlin. He was in trouble now. As soon as Hermione left, he regretted what he said. He had a deep fear of ever harming those who were closest to him. The last people who had been close to him – Sirius, James, and Peter, had all escaped fine, but they had also been animagi. The wolf was less dangerous surrounded by other animals that he accepted as his pack mates. He had been young and foolish during his school days. He had yet to see the devastation that Greyback and the others had done. He had seen innocent men, women, and children mauled. They were not mere wolves. Wolves hunted for food. Werewolves hunted for pure pleasure. They didn't need their victims for food. The inner wolf had an animalistic need to rip and tear into flesh, watching the blood and organs spill out of the flimsy human shell. If Remus had seen those terrors while he was in Hogwarts, he would never had permitted the rest of the Marauders to accompany him on the full moon.

He couldn't bear it if he attacked Hermione. During his brief stint at Hogwarts, the one memory that stood out to him was waking up in the Forbidden forest. He was covered with fresh scars – which was nothing new- but he could smell blood, blood that was not his own, on his body. The last thing he could remember was Sirius desperately trying to wrestle him away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He could remember his last desperate thoughts of _pleaseohmerlinno, notthemnothere, _and hatred. He hated himself. No one should have to worry about their teacher ripping them into pieces. No one should have to live with a danger like that.

Yet, Hermione willing volunteered, and fought, to live with him. Which was why he needed to keep her safe. He had so few people who allowed themselves to be close to him. Thanks to Umbridge's new Werewolf Registry Acts, most people knew he was a werewolf and avoided him like the plague. Even for those who didn't know about his lycanthropy, Remus felt obligated to tell them almost as soon as they said hello. He had gotten to close to people in the past only to have them break his heart and spirit as soon as they learned what he was.

The little voice in his head reminded him that Hermione had kept his secret. She possessed enough maturity as a student to figure out his secret and then keep it. That alone had been more than most adults had done. He owed her so much, even then. And now, for her to keep him from the horrible fate of Azkaban, giving up her future to be with him. That was another reason he was so intent on pushing her away. The more he pushed her away, as much as it killed him, was better for her. She could amend things with Ron. She would still have time to go out and met a man her age. She could do so many things that he was holding her back from.

_You just said Hermione had always been mature. You think she doesn't know what she wants? What marrying you meant? _No matter how hard he tried to push away the little voice in his head, he couldn't do it. It was right. Hermione knew what she wanted and knew what her actions meant. She had hardly ever been anything but vastly more mature and wise beyond her years, and yet he treated her like she wasn't his equal. He was treating her like she was a little child, or his naïve nursemaid. He had to accept that she was there to stay. He had to accept their relationship was a very strong friendship – if not above that. That was what he wouldn't permit. He would stop pushing her away, but he would not let her get close enough so that he would continue to fall in love with her.

Now he just had to find Hermione and apologize profusely, as soon as he got out of this infernal hospital. Judging by the bandages still wrapped around him and the flaring pain from his ribs, he was in no state to leave anytime soon. Some of the minor cuts and scratches had healed up, but the deeper ones were still quite fresh and angry looking. Another handful of scars to be added to his already plentiful collection. With any luck, he would be out of St. Mungo's in a couple of days. Until then he would just have to wait and pray that Hermione would be able to forgive him.


	16. Admitting

A rather timid looking Healer walked into the room, holding a file of papers in front of her. At first Remus thought she was lost. She wasn't one of his Healer's and she was shaking like this was her first day on the job.

"Mr. Lupin, we're going to – we have to ask you to leave."

"A hospital refusing to treat someone?"

"I… your – your paperwork is…..well….St. Mungo's new policy is to only treat…well…we don't help…dark creatures."

"I should hardly think I'm a danger to you," Remus pointed out, struggling to get to his feet.

"Werewolves…well….you might not…be dangerous now…but….surely – surely you know what you are?"

"I know full well what I am and what I am capable of, thank you," Remus snipped, panting at the effort it took him to stand upright, even with his hand on the bedpost for support.

A high pitched voice rang out behind the Healer. "Is there going to be an issue, Lupin? I should hardly think you want to cause a scene. We wouldn't want to call in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, would we? Although," she let out a shrill giggle, " I am sure your wife would support the decision."

Remus was silent, glaring at her through hazy pain. The Healer at least had the good-grace to look down at the floor. Umbridge maintained her innocently evil look.

"Is there going to be an issue?" She repeated.

Remus kept his silence, but slowly moved past her. His face was burning with humiliation. Of all the things he couldn't do and the places he couldn't go, a hospital was now one of them. As he passed through the doorframe, Umbridge waved her wand at him and his bandages fell to the ground. The release of pressure around his ribs caused the pain to soar back again. He wrapped his arms tightly around his chest.

"St. Mungo's property."

"Of course." He pushed past her, arms still wrapped around tightly around himself. As he walked down the hospital halls, Healer's backed away from him, muttering to each other. Remus had no idea where to go now. He couldn't heal himself, not with injuries like this at least. He could go to a muggle hospital he supposed, but he knew enough to know that without a muggle social security number or a health insurance, he would be unlikely to treated without a fair bit of questions. That, and he had no car or muggle transportation to get himself to a muggle hospital, even assuming he knew where the nearest one was.

Stepping outside of the hospital, he realized he had a bigger concern. He had no wand. He didn't have it when he transformed, although he couldn't remember if they had taken it or if he had dropped it when he was stunned. Either way, he was stuck in the middle of muggle London with no money, no wand, and broken ribs. He started his slow and agony-filled walk down the street. He had gone one block and his breath was coming in short, harsh wheezes. He felt like he had been running a marathon. Each breath he took was like a shard of glass being thrust into his lungs. He leaned against the window of an abandoned nail salon, eyes closed tightly as he focused on his breathing.

"Hermione! Over here!"

Arthur Weasley was running towards Remus. A few feet away from, Hermione was making her way to him, pushing through the crowds of people intent on their shopping.

"Remus!"

"They – kicked – me – out. Umbridge – "

"We know, Remus." Arthur told him gravelly. "The entire Ministry got the memo that Umbridge was headed to St. Mungo's to…deal with someone. And everyone knows that all she bothers with these days are her ridiculous laws. I don't know she found out so quickly where you were, normally things like that in the Ministry take a few days."

"You knew?"

"I did too." Hermione said sadly. "Harry told me to keep quite about your condition and how you got your injuries. I just…didn't think they would kick you…at least…at least not until you were healed."

"Well, let's get him in the car."

Remus looked a little bit alarmed for a few seconds. He could vaguely recall stories about Mr. Weasely's last car that was still roaming around in the Forbidden Forest.

"I'm driving, Remus. It's my car. I don't use it all that much, but….here's my chance."

She and Arthur carefully guided Remus towards Hermione's car. He looked almost worse than when he had been brought to St. Mungo's to begin with. Arthur laid him down on the backseat while Hermione started to cast protective charms around him.

"We'll take you to the Burrow. I'm sure Molly will be able to fix you right up."

Remus was unconscious by the time they could bring him to the Burrow. Molly fixed him back up as best as she could by replacing his bandages and trying more charms to heal the deeper cuts. She left Remus on the well-worn couch. Hermione sat nervously on the chair nearby. She had been hesitant about bringing Remus to the Burrow seeing as Ron wasn't exactly thrilled with the pair of them. Molly and Arthur assured her that Ron hadn't been back to the Burrow for weeks. Besides, Molly was far better and more experienced with complex healing spells than Hermione.

"Hermione?"

She looked up from her book. Her gaze wasn't exactly the most welcoming, but nor was it hostile, which Remus took as a good sign.

"I – Merlin, Hermione. I'm so sorry. I never – "

"– you don't need to apologize."

"Hermione, I have to apolo – "

"– no, you don't." "I understand. You're worried about me. I should have told you." She walked over to the couch and lightly kissed him on the lips.

Remus looked up at her startled.

"I am allowed to kiss my husband."

"I…Hermione, just remember we're only married on paper. Don't…don't get emotionally invested past that."

She smiled lightly. "A little too late for that, don't you think? Unless," her smiled vanished quickly, "you don't feel the same way…"

"I…I love you, Hermione. But that doesn't change the fact that I could easily kill you. For the short time while this law is in affect it works fine. Can you imagine 5 years with me? 10? I can't find a job. I'm no longer permitted in a hospital. A lifetime of me draining your money and not just for food and housing. New clothes every month as I shred mine. Wolfsbane potion, healing potions and medicines. I know you, Hermione. You would feel like you had an obligation to buy everything for me and to care for me. You would give up your own life just to patch up my own pathetic one."

"Yes. You're right. I _can _imagine life with you in 5 or 10 years. The idea of waking up next to you every morning and coming home to you every night is wonderful, Remus. I know no one will hire you. And I don't have an obligation to do things for you. I want to, Remus. I love you. I am not going to let you suffer every month! Not when I can help it."

"I appreciate your concern, Hermione, I really do. I just can't in good conscious take advantage of you like that."

"Remus, if our positions were swapped, what would you do?"

He didn't answer. He didn't need to. Hermione knew that is she was inflicted with lycanthropy, Remus would give her anything and everything that she needed. He was overprotective and they both knew it.

"I would care for you."

"So why can't I do the same for you? Why are you so against us actually being together?"

"I… I just can't imagine you'd want to stay with a monster for that long."

"Your scared." She crouched down and grabbed one of his hands and held it in her much smaller ones. "I promise, this isn't some short fling. I'm not just in it for the idea of danger and then running out. We've been together for months, Remus. I know what being a true werewolf's wife involves. I'm ready for it."

"We'll see, Hermione. It's not that I'm against the idea…I just…"

"You need more time. I understand." She stood up and kissed him again. "I'll be here whenever you're ready."


	17. New Law

"Whenever" he was ready ended up being five weeks, by which time Remus' ribs were completely healed. He had a few new scars from the ordeal, but nothing more noticeable than all his others. Hermione stopped in the Burrow occasionally to see him, but she accepted his request for more time and undoubtedly more space. It was nearing the full moon, however, so Remus was returning to their shared house for his transformation. Hermione was hesitant about asking Remus if she could once still be present as he transformed. Surprisingly, Remus approached her first.

"Hermione, I don't want to be inconvenience you, but do you have any plans for tomorrow night?"

"No…it's the full moon tomorrow night, isn't it? I don't usually make plans."

"Would you mind…accompanying me then?" He looked a bit ashamed of himself as he continued. Hermione understood the silent apology. "It…It really does help a lot when you're there. It calms the wolf."

"It's a date. You have a book of choice?"

"Surprise me."

The surprise book ended up being that afternoon's newspaper that Remus hadn't gotten around to reading. Hermione sat in your usual position in front of the cage, close enough to keep the wolf calm, but at enough distance so he couldn't reach her. She waited until she heard the wolf howling before she came downstairs. It was both out of respect for Remus, who sat naked on the floor until the moon rose, and out of her own fear. Hermione could bear to hear the cracking and stretching of bones. The wolf would howl for a few minutes, but as soon as she was in distance of the wolf's senses Remus calmed down instantly.

"Hi, Remus."

The wolf grunted and cocked its head at her. Halfway through the newspaper, Hermione let out a scream.

"Not another rule! Listen to this:

_Dolores Umbridge, newly appointed head for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, has passed a decree, adding onto her predecessor's "Lycanthrope Marriage Law." As in accordance with the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, werewolves are classified as dangerous beings. Newt Scamander (Order of Merlin, Second Class) author of, _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, _gives werewolves an XXXXX classification. The XXXXX classification is given to the most dangerous species. Umbridge's most recent law has been introduced in response to the overwhelming push to have werewolves exiled or executed. Dolores Umbridge gave a statement: "The Minister and I feel that compassion for these being has gone on too long. While the current Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, has had a soft spot for the creatures, particularly previous Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, the Minister and I do not hold the same affection for the beasts. We have introduced a new policy for werewolves and their newly taken spouses." At the next full moon, all werewolves registered with the Ministry of Magic must report to the Department for Werewolf Containment and Control along with their spouses. Couples will be held in the containment cells for the duration of the full moon. If the werewolf is proven 'safe', they will be released back into society. If they are not, they will be placed into solitary confinement. Anyone couple who refuses will be immediately excecuted."_

Hermione was fuming. "So we just have to show up, sit in the same cell, and hope you don't tear me to pieces. Wonderful. Like that will prove any werewolves are safe. You are going to be furious about this in the morning!"

A/N: Sorry for the super short chapters! And they haven't been beta-d so I apologize for any errors!


	18. Discussion

As the full moon started to wane, Hermione turned away from the cage and moved to the corner of the basement where she had a stack of blankets, a basket of bandages and healing potions and lotions, and then a cup of water. As soon as the whimpers of the wolf slowly turned into Remus' desperate shrieks, Hermione rushed over and unlocked his cage. As injuries went after transformation, Remus was relatively unscathed. Hermione gently wrapped the blanket around Remus and led him to a mattress she had conjured just outside of the cage. Remus was barely awake, but she slipped him a potion before he completely dozed off. With no other wounds to care for, Hermione sat there for a few more minutes, set up his clothes next to the mattress, and then headed upstairs for a brief sleep before she started to make breakfast. She carefully tucked the newspaper under her arm; Hermione made a promise she wouldn't tell Remus until he was fully recovered from this full moon.

That plan was cheerfully destroyed when Harry and Ginny decided to stop by just as she was serving Remus breakfast.

"Hermione! Did you get last night's paper?"

"What are you to going to do?"

"Sirius volunteered that you two could always stay in Grimmauld Place with him. Dumbledore would be the Secret Keeper and everything."

"How many registered werewolves do you think there are in Britain?"

"Yes, I got last night's paper. I have no idea how many werewolves there are in Britain, although I suspect there are many more unregistered ones. Remus and I have not discussed what we are going to do."

"What are you all talking about?"

Hermione wordlessly slid him the paper. " Page three. Halfway down. I read it to you last night. I…I was going to let you read it once I was sure you were feeling better."

Remus quickly flipped open the paper. While he was reading, Hermione, Ginny and Harry cast each other nervous glances.

"Absolutely not. Hermione, you…we'll just get a divorce. File those papers again. Or we could say you went back to live with you parents. Send you to American or somewhere further away."

"And leave you to be executed? No. Nor am I spending my entire life in hiding. Grimmauld Place, America, or otherwise. Besides, the wolf hasn't hurt me yet."

"I've been in a cage every time I've transformed!"

"Not when you saved me from Greyback. You didn't come near me, let alone scratch me. And when I was with you last night you were calmer."

"Hermione, I don't know. Werewolves are never really safe are they?"

"Harry's right. When I used to transform in the Shrieking Shack, before Sirius and James and Peter, I would bite and scratch myself because there was nothing else. But if the wolf had a human, and in such small quarters, you wouldn't stand a change. The wolf was distracted by Greyback before. He was the bigger threat."

"You did what you could." Ginny told her. "You saved his life this far. But maybe it would just be best for you to get a divorce and Remus can just hide you with Sirius."

"Sirius is going crazy living alone. Remus isn't going to want to hide out for the rest of his life as well."

"I would be willing to do that if I meant Hermione would be safe."

"No. I'm not doing it. I'm not letting you end up skulking in that hell-hole for the rest of your life. I trust you. And I trust the wolf. You can't remember what happened. You attack Greyback and then saved me. You didn't ignore me, you didn't walk away, you turned towards me and then saved me!"

Remus sighed. "Hermione, I – "

" – I trust you with my life. Harry, Ginny, you can go back and tell the others that I've made my choice."

Harry grinned. "And I see Remus has gotten a fair bit to say about that. Bossy as ever."

"Harry! You support this?"

"I've know Hermione. If she says she'll be safe, then I trust her judgment."

Ginny looked a bit skeptical, "I think we should talk it over with Dumbledore and the rest of the Order. We can't lose either of you!"

"Dumbledore will know what to do. I'll go call a meeting later tonight."

As soon as Harry and Ginny left, Remus turned furiously to Hermione. "This decision is not final. I'm not going to let you die."

"Nor will I let you die or be holed up in some house. We've been through this same conversation again and again. My opinions aren't going to change. But if you insist, wait and see what Dumbledore says."

"Even if Dumbledore supports…this…idea…I – what if I woke up to find you…to find bits of you…scattered around the cell? Your blood all over the cell, having the taste of your flesh and blood in my mouth for the next few days…knowing that I'll have killed Hermione Granger. Harry Potter's best friend. The smartest witch of her age. Killed by the monster she claimed to have loved."

"I won't be killed. But if I am, it will be a noble cause to die for. Hermione Granger killed defending her husband. Killed supporting her ideas that lycanthropes are no monsters."

"I…that's very Gryffindor of you."

"I suppose it is. Keeping true to that – I'm going to pull out the courage and go face all the fun people I'm going to met today. I'll see you tonight at the meeting."

Hermione grabbed her briefcase and jacket and headed out the door. Remus stopped her before she left, pulling her in for a kiss.

"I'm going to call of the meeting. I'll tell Dumbledore we'll both be there on the full moon. If nothing, it will prove I trust my brilliant and gorgeous wife…"

Hermione blushed. Feeling confident and satisfied, she left. In the back of her mind however, nagging thoughts persisted. Remus wouldn't give up that easily. He never had before. It just wasn't in his nature. Hermione took an early lunch break and addressed three letters: one to Harry, one to Ginny, and one to Sirius. Each one had a request that they watch Remus carefully from now until the full moon. She didn't need to hover over him, just make sure he wasn't filing out divorce papers. Worse, Hermione could imagine far more drastic actions he could take if Remus was that desperate to save her. Thirty days. They only had to make it thirty days.


	19. The Past

"Three days left."

"Why do you insist on reminding me every day? I know how many days left. I also know I'm not changing my mind."

He smiled. "Caught."

"At least when the three days are up the rest of the Order might leave us alone. Kingsley has found me at work at least twice a day with potions or spells that he thinks will help. Harry keeps asking me how I'm feeling, like I'm sick or something. They're like overprotective brothers."

"You're accusing them of being overprotective? I have noticed Harry and Sirius showing me a bit more attention than normal. And seeing as Sirius doesn't notice anything unless it's female, I suspect you had something to do with it."

"I might have pulled a few favors. I imagine you did the same."

"Let's just say Harry will most likely be glad when this entire affair is over…depending how it ends."

* * *

"It's tonight, Hermione. Only a few hours left."

"Yes it is. And if we both survive I think I few nights out of town would be in order. Maybe a nice country cottage or something."

"And if we don't survive?"

"We will."

"If we don't – I…" There was so much he wanted to tell her. He had to thank her. He had to tell her how much he loved her. He had to explain to her how much different she was from everyone else he had been with. She was the first woman who had gotten together with him _after _knowing he was werewolf. Every woman he had been with – he could count the number on one hand – had left him. Some of them had claimed it wasn't the lycanthropy. It was all linked to it though: no money, no job, no real house or furniture, scars running all over his body. Three women, not including Tonks. Three of them during his school days: Emily and Laura. He met Susan years after his Hogwarts graduation.

He had met Emily in his 5th year during chess club. He had liked her well enough, she was one of the smartest in their class, so he didn't put up much of a protest when Sirius and James set them up on a date. They had gone out a few times to Hogsmeade before the trouble started. Once they had "officially" before a couple, Emily expected that Remus not only take her out every Hogsmeade weekend, but pay for her meals. Remus had small sums of money from Christmas and birthday's left over and those reserves were quickly being drained. Unlike many of the students who got jobs – muggle or magical – over the summer holidays, Remus could not find employment anywhere. He simply didn't have the money Emily wanted him to spend.

Emily tried to subtly hint that she would like gifts and flowers and trinkets by always pointing out what her girlfriends were getting from their boyfriends. Remus could never even hope to afford any of that. He also found it a bit foolish that a fifteen year old boy would spend that much on someone who would most likely dump him the next month.

_"Isn't that sweet?"_

_ Remus looked up at her. "What?"_

_ "Marlene and her boyfriend. He bought her five dozen roses. A rose for each day they've been together." _

_ "What would you do with that many roses?" _

_ "The point is he _appreciates _her and isn't afraid to show it."_

_ "His father also runs Flourish and Blotts." _

_ "What is that supposed to mean?"_

_ "It means I can't afford to buy you everything you want! I would love to give you everything you want. But I can't!" _

That as the last conversation Remus and Emily had together. Emily would rather someone pay for her than care for her. Remus was single for the rest of the year. At the start of his 7th year, Sirius and James insisted he was moping and set him up with Laura. Remus had agree on the condition that Sirius stop charming his books shut. Laura was a Ravenclaw chaser in her 6th year. They had been dating for five months and were approaching their sixth month when Laura started confronting Remus about his disappearances and mysterious illnesses during the full moon. She had already put together much of the pieces, so Remus decided to tell her.

_"Laura, I'm a werewolf. It's why I'm never here during the full moon."_

_ She gaped at him. "Are you sure?"_

_ He laughed hollowly. "I'm sure."_

_ "Oh…I'm sorry, Remus. I'm so sorry. That must be horrible for you."_

_ She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Remus' waist, tucking her head under his chin. Remus wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. For the first time, he felt completely supported. Laura seemed to understand him. She wasn't running away in terror, she hadn't dumped him, she was still with him. _

This hope only lasted so long. While they were sitting there holding each other, miles and miles away, Fenrir Greyback and his pack had attacked. A family with five children was brutally slaughtered. The next morning, the Great Hall was flooded with owls carrying the _Daily Prophet. _The attack was on the front page. Remus didn't see Laura at all the day. The next morning he found a Howler waiting for him in the Great Hall.

_ "WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU? IS THAT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING EACH MONTH? GOING OUT AND KILLING PEOPLE? YOU ARE A FREAK! HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? HOW CAN YOU LIVE LIKE THAT? YOU SHOULD BE KILLED. I CAN'T BELIVE I TRUSTED YOU." _

Sirius and James did their best to make up some explanation about the Howler – something about Remus accidentally stepping on her pet rat – while Remus stood their in shock. She had seemed so accepting of it at first…unless she never really understood what a werewolf was. She didn't yet hold the connection most people in society had between werewolves and the murderous, dangerous beasts they became.

The worst one had been Susan. Remus had run into her several times when he was at the Ministry looking for a job and sometimes updating his werewolf registry. It started with a few casual conversations and then progressed to a few lunch dates. They went on a few more lunch and dinner dates before they decided to become a couple. By that time, Susan had been informed what Remus was. One of her friends worked in the werewolf registration and was in charge of Remus' files. Remus was honestly convinced he and Susan would be together forever. They had been together for almost a year. Susan hadn't been present during the full moon, but she cared for him the days before and after. Susan wasn't as young as Laura; Susan knew what society thought about werewolves. She knew how dangerous they could be. What Remus didn't know at the time was that she was one of the "creatures of the night" thrill seekers. She and her friends were into trying to find and date vampires and werewolves. They thought that it was more glamorous, dangerous, and exciting to be involved with the mysterious creatures of the night.

What she hadn't expected were the scars. He had far more of them now of course, but he still had a good many then. They had come back one evening from an upscale muggle restaurant and had ended up back at her house. She had stripped of her shirt and had started to unbutton Remus' when she froze.

_"Remus, what happened?"_

_ There was a huge scar spread across his upper chest, just visible from the part of his unbuttoned shirt. _

_ "Scar. From some transformation. There…I have….I have a lot more of them. On of the many downsides of lycanthropy."_

_ Susan's face looked unsure as she continued to unbutton the rest of his shirt. She pulled it off Remus' tense shoulders and then just gaped. He had scars over most every part of his body. They varied in length and width running at all different angles. The older ones were a light pinkish-white color while the newer ones were still a scabbed reddish-brown. _

_ "There….there's just so many. Aren't werewolves supposed to be muscular and handsome and…" She started to put her shirt back on. "I'm sorry. You're just not what I expected. You're wonderful and smart and everything but…"_

But she wanted a physical relationship and Remus just wasn't attractive enough to satisfy her needs. She was the one that hurt the most. He had never considered his attractiveness before. He had always assumed it was the lycanthropy or the lack of income and employment. He knew his scars were unattractive but he hadn't thought they were that horrible. He also felt that scars were the most unavoidable. Women could blame him for being dangerous. They could accuse him of not trying hard enough to find a job. They could accuse him of poorly spending money. There was nothing he could do to avoid the scars. Each scar he had was a human saved. Each scar was the wolf turning on itself rather than another human. The morning after the transformation he always did his best to take care of his wounds, but werewolf wounds didn't heal like normal injuries. Only the small cuts fully healed.

"Thinking about it, I must look like patchwork. I do imagine I was quite a disappointment to all of them. "

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! Sorry about adding those OOC in there….but Remus' past is very nonexistent. The next chapter will contain smut. Nothing overly explicit, but it that sort of stuff upsets you, please skip the chapter. :D (Sorry. I just can't resist a sort of H/C scar scene.)


	20. Mine

A/N: This is the kinda smutty chapter. Still a T rating…but I know some readers may be uncomfortable!

"You weren't a disappointment. They didn't know what they were missing. Susan sounded just plain mad to be honest."

"Well, you won't be alone if you feel any…hesitation. I know you're going to go through with this – just know I understand if you get upset or disgusted with me."

"Never. Well, if you leave the toilet seat up or something like that then I might be upset. I will never be disgusted with you. I've seen your scars after your transformations."

"But…could you ever…could you imagine…" He blushed and then went silent.

"I can imagine a lot of things, Remus. All of them involve you."

He was still uncomfortable, Hermione could tell. He was crossing his arms protectively over his chest and was avoiding her gaze. A man twenty ages her senior acting like a nervous teenager. That was what the lycanthropy had done to him. It was much more the physical. He recovered from the physical pain. He couldn't recover from the mental damage. Every day something remind him of what he was. Of how he wasn't equal to everyone else. It had happened so often that now he had come to believe that.

"You are perfect. Susan, Emily, Laura…they didn't know what they were missing."

"You don't know, Hermione….you…you haven't seen all of the scars…One…One of my more recent acquisitions I've been hiding. Small glamour charm that lasts through the transformation. It's not powerful enough to cover up all the scars…but…."

"Show me." Hermione was over at his chair in a second, her hands at the top button of his shirt. He pushed her hands away.

"Don't, please, Hermione. Just let me have this secret."

She started undoing the buttons on his shirt. He saw it all flash again in his mind. Susan, doing the same thing until she was reeling back in disgust. He was worse now. He had more scars on his chest. On her arms. Running across his face.

Hermione had pulled the shirt off his shoulders. She was pulling out her wand, muttering counterspells. Remus waited. Any second. Any second she would get that look of terror and run. Run just like the others.

"Remus! When…when did…Merlin…when did you…who did this?"

"Greyback. On one of my Order missions. He…he doesn't like to lose a member of his pack."

Scrawled across his chest, in huge, scraggly letters, slightly raised where the skin had been ripped open and then mended was "MINE."

"Greyback was rather insistent that I remember who I belong to. He bit me. He made me what I am. That makes me his."

" No it doesn't. You aren't him, Remus! You will never be like him. You aren't his. You belong to the Order. You belong to the Marauders. You belong to me."

Hermione started tracing each letter. "You – are – mine." She was running her hands and fingers up and down his chest and broad shoulders. "This is mine." She leaned over and kissed him, gently biting his lower lip. "These – these are mine."

He hissed slightly as she lowered herself onto his lap, twisting her head to deepen the kiss.

"Hermione – you don't…not this close to the full moon. I…my control…"

She ground her hips into his again and smiled when she heard his intake of breath. She stayed pressed against him but moved her hand down from his chest and into the waistband of his pants.

"Hermione…"

"This is mine now," she whispered in his ear.

She grabbed him by the waistband of his pants and dragged him into their bedroom. Hermione shoved him onto the bed.

"When are you going to realize that I love you? That you are always enough for me?"

She started running her hands tentatively across his face as if exploring it; trying to ensure that she knew every single facial feature. She traced his entire face, starting from the forehead, sweeping his hair away from his face, and then outlined his cheeks with her fingers until she moved down to the slope of his jaw. Just those simple movements and goosebumps were already running up his arms. Hermione moved to trace the rest of the scars that framed 'MINE". Her hands were lazily rubbing and caressing his skin. His body was at the mercy of her hands. They were wandering, toying, exploring, rubbing; testing his limits. Her hands that were roaming over his exposed skin, seeing every scar, every imperfection, and thinking nothing of it. She did not flinch. She never hesitated. There was no look of disgust that Remus had dreaded.

If anything, Hermione's movements got bolder, getting firmer, faster, progressing from tentative flutters to embolden movements. He closed her eyes waiting for the dream to end when he reopened them. He opened them and she was still there. She had moved from her fingers tracing to her lips lightly tracing over each letter, her hair falling across his face and brushing across his chest. Hermione moved up further on the bed, brushing her lips against the side of his face until she was bent down across my body, her mouth barely an inch from my ear.

"I never want to hear you say you're not good enough or attractive enough. Ever. You are mine."

She started to move her hands back down past his waist. Remus grabbed her wrists and flipped her down on the bed underneath him. Her deep brown eyes meet his amber ones.

"I am yours."


	21. The Cell

"Please state your names."

"Remus Lupin, werewolf."

"Hermione Granger Lupin, wife."

"Very well. If you two would sign these paper for me, please. You do understand the terms and conditions that you are agreeing to? All people in the cell must be alive when the sunrises for Mr. Lupin to be considered innocent."

"They're barbaric, but yes, I agree." Hermione snapped. Remus grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Hermione was thankful Harry had not kept true to his threat to come with them. Remus and Hermione had barely gotten redressed when Harry and Ginny had come bursting into the house to wish them luck and give them teary goodbyes. They were most likely going to stay up in Grimmauld Place with Sirius until they heard news back from Remus and Hermione.

She and Remus each took a quill and signed the papers.

"Alright. Wands, please. Thank you. Now if you could follow me."

She showed Remus and Hermione down to the end of the hallway. They turned right at the end and were ushered into a small entrance in front of Cell 353.

"Feel free to leave any…personal belongings in here."

Hermione and Remus stood awkwardly in the room. Hermione started tapping her foot.

"Well? Would you rather walk out of here naked? I'm not protesting but I'm pretty sure that woman won't appreciate it. "

"I don't…not here, Hermione."

"Why not? It's just me. You're going to be shy now? You weren't shy this afternoon…"

Remus conceded. He left his clothes folded on a shelf and then followed Hermione into the cell. The actual cell was a cell constructed of solid steel, including the door. Impossible to get in or out without a wand. As soon as Hermione and Remus entered the cell the door slammed shut behind them. A horrible smell immediately assailed them. The floor was painted crimson from the hunks of bloody, raw meat strewn about through the cell. It looked like they were in a butcher's shop.

"What is this? Why…is this…? Remus?"

"Blood covers up the scent of almost everything. They put it in this cell because they know….they know…"

"Remus, we've been through this. The wolf knows me. We'll be okay."

"The wolf goes by scent. Primal instincts. I can only go by blood, Hermione. You will smell the same as everything else in this room. There will be no difference between you and this," he pushed a large hunk of meat with his foot.

"I still trust the wolf. Besides, I'm sure the wolf would much rather prefer some raw steaks over me. Bones are too much work."

"The wolf won't – " Remus fell to the floor screaming. Hermione knelt down next to him, feeling the blood soaking through her jeans. She stayed still, helpless watching as his body stretched and changed. She could hear the bones cracking, Remus' screams turning into howls as his muscles, veins, and organs rearranged to accommodate the wolf's shape. Remus was looking up at her with agony filled amber eyes. Hermione felt horrible. There was nothing she could do to ease his suffering.

"Remus, shhh. It's okay. I'll be fine."

He let out another shriek, "What – if…aren't…ok…"

"If I'm not, then I forgive you. I forgive you and the wolf. "

That was the last Remus heard. His eyes suddenly changed to a glowing yellow and the human cries were replaced by wolfish ones. Remus was fully transformed.

He started to sniff around the cell, sniffing the floor, the blood, the slabs of meat, Hermione, and the door. He started to slam himself against the door several times, moaning. Each _thud _as his shoulder made contact with the door jolted Hermione. The wolf may not feel the pain now, but Remus would feel it in the morning.

"Don't do that! Please! Moony! Don't!"

The wolf turned towards her. She extended one hand, palm up, and the wolf padded softly over. He sniffed it questioningly then started licking the blood off her hand.

"Ick, Remus, if you want something to eat, start on these….well…whatever these chunks are."

He cocked his head like he was waiting for permission.

"Well, go on. Could be hippogriff for all I know. I doubt you'll care."

Moony didn't. He immediately started tearing into the mystery meat like an eager dog with its chew toy. Once he had finished with that piece, he picked up another one in his mouth and dropped it at Hermione's feet. He sat back on his haunches and looked up at her.

She laughed. "Remus thought he would hurt me. You're just like Snuffles. No, I don't want any of that, I'll be sick. And one of us has to be well enough to care for you tomorrow. Remus isn't going to thank me for letting you eat all this raw meat."

The wolf could have cared less. He simply sat there flipping his attention from Hermione to the meat. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh honestly. Here!" She picked it up, shuddering at the slimy, bloody texture and flung it up in the air. The wolf barked happily and raced to catch it. He leapt into the air and caught it. After he had eaten that one, he brought another piece to Hermione's feet.

"If this is what amuses you…" Hermione giggled, "Remus would die if he saw you like this. Like a little house dog." She threw the next piece higher and watched the wolf make the impressive leap upwards. Hermione thought the wolf would tire eventually of this little game, but he continued for a several hours, during which point Hermione had sat down in a relatively blood-free corner of the cell, until there was nothing left in the cell but the blood spotted floor.

The wolf wandered into Hermione's corner.

"I don't have anything left to throw."

The wolf barked.

"Nothing – I have nothing left."

Hermione could have sworn that not only did the wolf understand her, but his eyes and face looked almost disappointed. He decided instead to curl up in front of her. She started to absentmindedly pet him for awhile before she drifted off to sleep.

A/N: For "Guest" thank you so much for the reviews! They're appreciated!


	22. The End

Remus woke up with the taste of blood filling his mouth. Blood was caked all over his body and around his mouth. His stomach felt heavy and was churning very unpleasantly. He pushed himself up and saw he was leaning Hermione's blood soaked leg. He scrambled to her side and started furiously shaking her, ignoring his stomach's violent protest.

"Hermione! Hermione!"

She groggily opened her eyes and groaned. "Remus, I was sleeping. I'm fine." She stood up and then extended her hand to help Remus off their ground. "You didn't touch me. I pet you, played fetch with you, then I feel asleep."

Hermione tried the door, found it unlocked and guided Remus to the holding cell where he started to get redressed.

"You played fetch?"

"Oh…well…the wolf was quite happy to play. Not to mention persistent. Although I imagine you're going to need a few Stomach Settling potions when we get home."

Remus groaned and clutched at his stomach. "I might need more than that. What did the wolf eat?"

"I'm sorry…I knew you would be sick…but the wolf…he ate the cell's worth...I'm sorry. He looked like he was having fun though, if that's any consolation."

"Don't worry about it. I've done worse to myself. A few potions and I'll be fine. A little bit of food poisoning is nothing. And look, Hermione, I'm sorry I doubted you. I just had no idea that Moony trusts you like that...I didn't know they're capable of..."

The outer door was opened. Four wizards stood by the exit with their wands extended.

"They're both alive," one of them called out. The woman who had showed them in appeared behind the four men.

"Very well. If you could just sign another set of papers we can give you back your wands."

She led them back to the front desk. Remus had started to turn slightly green and was hunching over with his arm around his stomach as he walked. Hermione slipped next to him so his arm was over her shoulder. She wrapped her other arm carefully around his waist and helped pull him into a more upright position.

"If you'll just sign these papers that state you both survived the full moon." They signed them. "Thank you. Now, since Mr. Lupin had officially been newly classified as 'non-threatening,' you can sign these papers," she turned to Hermione, "if you would like to be legally divorced with no repercussions to either party."

"I quite happy with my husband, thank you, so if you don't have anything else for us to sign, we'll have our wands back."

"Hermione..."

She looked down at Remus, slouching over by her side. "I love you..but...you don't...have to do this."

"I don't have to stay married to the man I love? No, I don't. But I'm going to. So," Hermione turned towards the woman again, "our wands, please."

The woman handed Hermione both her and Remus' wands and Hermione was now dragging a very nauseous Remus out the door.

"Can you Apperate? Or should we call a cab?"

"Apperate," he groaned, "don't want to be sick in the cab."

"Okay. Hold on."

Hermione Apperated them into Grimmauld Place, knowing that Harry, Ginny, and Sirius were anxious for news. As soon as they appeared in the kitchen, Hermione heard footsteps rushing downstairs.

"Hermione! Are you both okay? You're covered in blood!"

"We're not hurt. Tell Dumbledore and the rest of the Order."

Remus moved Hermione's arm of his waist and wobbled to the bathroom. Harry cast Hermione a questioning glance, but she just shook her head. Ginny and Sirius came rushing in behind Harry.

"Is Remus alright?"

"He's fine. A bit sick because he spent the night gorging on raw meat. I suppose the Ministry thought they were either be helpful or trying to get us killed." She went on to explain everything else that had happened as quickly and completely as she could.

"Anyway, they officially declared Remus to not be a threat which means that he's no longer under the werewolf marriage law."

"So you and Remus can get a divorce?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, I suppose."

"You suppose. So you and Remus are still married then?"

"Yes, Harry. And we've decided…we're going to stay married."

"Thank God," Sirius barked, "last thing I want to deal with is Remus moping about for a couple of years. He hasn't exactly gotten lucky with love."

"So I've heard... but I really love him and I'm staying with him. Speaking of which – I should go see how he's doing."

"Hermione?" She turned around and looked at Harry.

"Yes?"

"You really do make a fantastic couple. Better than you and Ron could ever have been."

Hermione ran and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Harry."

Hermione grabbed a towel and a cup of water and ran into the bathroom to see Remus still hunched over the toilet, throwing up copious amount of pink substances.

"No more meat for while then?" She knelt behind him and put a cool hand up the back of his shirt, running her hand up and down his spine.

"Merlin no."

"Well, Sirius, Ron, and Ginny are thrilled to see you back. Harry also thinks we make a great couple. Now that we're a 'real' couple."

"That's wonderful, Hermione."

She soaked the towel and rung it out over the sink. Remus had stopped vomiting and was leaning back against Hermione, his throat burning. He took the cup of water Hermione offered him gratefully. Hermione started to clean the blood off his face and arms.

"Feel better?"

"You have no idea. For the morning after a transformation I feel fantastic. I guess I owe it all to my fantastic wife who crazily agreed to stay with me. "

She kissed him on the forehead.

"Feel up to going back home?"

"Yes. I'll got let the rest of them know you haven't killed me yet."

They said their goodbyes with promises to visit again and start with plans to have a proper wedding.

* * *

They Apperated back to their house.

"It seems so different now. Before it was like…a refuge from the law. Now it's an actual home. _Our _home."

"Ours," Hermione agreed, "the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Remus Lupin. And," she wrinkled her nose, "a residence that's going to smell like a slaughter house soon." Hermione looked mischievously at Remus in a way frightleny reminiscent of a young Marauder. "I'm going to take off these clothes and take a shower. Care to join me?"

Remus followed her, thanking the universe for giving him a strong, beautiful, and compassionate wife who gave him back everything his lycanthropy had taken.

A/N: That's the end! Thank you so much to all my awesome followers and reviewers! I would love to write something else but I have a complete writer's block. If anyone has any requests or suggestions for new story I would love to take them! PM me!


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